Can't Keep You, Babe
by 500NightsOfHolmes
Summary: With big opportunities, comes great self-control for both Hyde and Jackie. **Second Hydie Fanfic** Disclaimer; I do not own the characters or any of the underlying plot. Only my own ideas :) Please read and review xo
1. The Mess Up

Chapter One  
The Mess Up

Fez sat on the couch of the basement, watching Hitchcock's finest thrillers. His friends were yet to show up. Hyde was getting busy in his room with a girl so Fez thought it best to just be silent until it was over. He played idly with ball-on-a-string and Snakes and Ladders with himself eventually. The night itself wasn't particularly spooky feeling. Fez was creeped that nobody else was in the basement yet. He tried to turn his ear and make himself busy the more he could hear from the back room. But he couldn't.

It finished just as Psycho started on TV. Fez sat patiently, ignoring the movement of Hyde behind him.  
"Hey, man. When'd you get here?" He asked but Fez couldn't talk. Hyde just sat on his chair with his legs now crossed and on the table. "You're being weird. What's the matter?"

"I heard you and.. the lady. Did you, uh, have fun?" Fez showed a weak smile. Hyde ignored it for some time before pulling his chair around to the table and lighting the incense.

 _Fez was happy and relaxed, forgetting all about the girl in Hyde's room. Whether she was easy or not. An uggo or not. It was just melting away from him. But Hyde was paranoid. He stared at Fez, jumping when the girl excused herself from Hyde's bedroom and exiting from the basement._

 _"Oh, Hyde! She is nice! Who is she?!" Fez commented, nodding and smiling wildly._

 _"Fez, man, I said something that no man should ever, ever say, when he's having sex with a beautiful blonde like her. Alright. No man ever. Not even Kelso. Or You for that matter. Dude, it was horrible." Hyde was uncomfortable. He couldn't sit still on his chair and Fez leaned in closer with a look of curiosity._

 _"Tell. I am listening."_

 _"Alright, man. You can't tell anybody! Not Kelso or Mrs Forman. Nobody. Got it?! Got it!" Hyde was getting twitchier and he rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. He was prepared and ready to fill Fez in when Eric and Donna came bounding into the basement from outside. They both looked excited and quickly joined the circle._

 _Hyde waited and waited for them both to get overly toasted before resuming his conversation with Fez. Donna chuckled, leaning in when Hyde did. Eric followed and their heads were very soon nearly touching.  
_

 _"Take it away, Hyde. It will not leave the circle." Fez promised._

 _"Alright, so I was makin' it with Patti-"_

 _"Walker? Or Sondherson?" Eric asked, ripping open a stray bag of peanuts from under the couch._

 _"Sondherson. Anyway, I was makin' it with her and y'know, Patti, y'know... sounds a lot like Jackie. Hang on! Funny story, true story actually-" Hyde got giddly and started to sweat, leaning back onto the chair again and tapping his feet out of frustration and anxiety. Donna sat, still leaning in to the circle but fell back quickly,_

 _"Hyde!" She squealed, "What about it?" Donna asked with a blank look. Eric was silently in a fit of tears. He was almost off his space on the couch. He chewed widely on the peanuts and slipped off of the couch and onto the floor. There were tears. Fez just looked at Hyde and shook his head._

 _"You keep away from her. I need a chance." Fez warned. Eric was pausing to breathe, slowly stopping his laughter when Jackie and Kelso came downstairs, at each other's throats about Laurie and Kelso's relationship._

 _"What's going on?" Jackie asked and sat on the edge of the couch. Eric roared with laughter again and pointed at Hyde. He had paralysed himself with Hyde's sexual dilemma. Donna's eyes widened and she looked at Hyde._

 _"The worst thing..." Hyde directed at Fez and Donna, "It got better **after** I said it. It was better with her than Patti. That's messed up." Hyde shook his head, holding his head in his hands after a while. "I didn't want to... I didn't want to but I did."_

 _"Did what, man?" Kelso asked and climbed over the couch to sit behind Eric._

 _"Nothing! Everybody... shut up! Shut up." He lifted his head to look everyone in the eye._

Except Jackie.

* * *

It was a few weeks later. A colder night. A sober night. It was almost midnight when Hyde was leaving the Hub and taking the long route back to the Forman's. There were dogs barking in houses and the sound of the busier streets a few miles out. Luckily for Hyde, the gang had forgotten about his mishap with Patti a few weeks before. The thoughts hadn't bothered him all that much. Just whenever Jackie was around. He was trapped in his own mind. Did he like her? Or was it a spur-the-moment kind of deal where he said the first name that came into his head? He wasn't sure. Jackie repulsed him to no end and he done everything in his power to make sure she felt the same. He couldn't risk anything like that. Yeah, Kelso was an ass, but he was Hyde's best friend. He couldn't betray him like that.

Hyde kicked his heels along the concrete, aching to go home to bed after a long, hard day of 'divorcing' Jackie and Kelso. He needed to unwind. It was a stressful few hours they had had. He came to Jackie's house which was surprisingly bright. He room light was on. Hyde checked his watch. What the hell was she doing?  
He walked around the back of the house, shimmying past the garden fence to look up at her larger window.  
"Little Red Riding Bitch! What're you doing?!"  
She was leaning out of the window with a cigarette half smoked. It was stubbed out quickly and she used her hands to flail away the smoke. "You're smoking?!"

"Hyde, shut up." Jackie seemed upset. "What do you want?"

"I seen you were awake and I came 'round here and there you are. Blazing. What's wrong?"

"Why do you care?"

"I care 'cause your mom's car's not home and neither is your dad's. You're smoking and your mailbox is full out front." Hyde said calmly and started to scale the wall by the back door to reach her window.

"You could use the front door."

"Nah! I'm better at breaking and entering." Hyde puffed and tumbled into her dim pink bedroom. He got to his feet and closed over the window, bringing the heavy crystal ashtray inside with him. Jackie sat on her bed and sighed. Hyde didn't know what to do. He stayed standing and put his hands in his jacket pocket. "So why the smokes? My stuff not good enough anymore?" He chuckled but Jackie didn't.

"I don't know. I guess... Today just proved that Michael and I are over."

Hyde scoffed, "I could've told you that. It was going to happen. You don't need to smoke to get over it."

"But it's not just Michael. My mom and dad are getting divorced. You're the first person I've told. I don't know how else to cope!" Jackie whined and started to heartily sob into her hands. Hyde swooped in by her side and comforted her with an arm around her back and his free hand on her knee. He hushed her and calmed her, reassuring her that it'll all be okay. "It's not okay! I don't want to stay with my dad because he's never home. He's always working. I don't want to stay with my mom either 'cause she's always got some guy with her and doesn't listen to me!" Jackie turned fully to Hyde and buried herself into his shoulder, crying. It broke Hyde's heart, despite the fact that he hated her. She had feelings and had a life and that life was just crumbling to nothing.

"Look, man. C'mon. I got a roach in my pocket. I was going to save it for when I went to bed. But, man, you need it more than me!" He chuckled sadly, smiling as he leaned on to the top of her head.

They sat side by side at the head of Jackie's bed, relaxed and almost falling asleep. Jackie perked up when it got close to one o'clock.

"Y'know, I just don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be an orphan." Jackie said quietly with a smile in her voice. Hyde just hunkered down and put his arm around her, relaxing to the repeating record on the player. It had played over twice already. Neither could move to change it.

"You won't be an orphan. You got Mrs Forman. She's, like, everybody's mom. Everybody's." Hyde said drowsily. He was far too relaxed for this environment. But it was already too late to climb back out the window and leave her to be alone. His boots were off and her candles were dying down.

"Y'know, sex with Michael isn't even that great. I think that's what broke it for me. Sex is meant to let you unwind and relax. I never got that with him."

"You don't say." Hyde was uninterested in their sex life and really anything to do with Jackie and sex. His eyes closed over but he was plagued with the memory of Patti and himself on Halloween. His eyes shot open.

"Yeah. He isn't strong or all that mighty. It's all very wah-wah. I'm anywhere else except there with him. Thinking about homework or John Travolta."

"Travolta? You really gotta get it good if that's what you start thinking about." Hyde laughed and pushed himself up slightly. It fell quiet between the pair and they looked at each other. They thought the same thing. They could just do it and be done with it. But it could get messy. It could definitely alter the loathing that they had for each other.

Jackie hmm'ed and sat up too, turning to face Hyde with her legs crossed.

"We shouldn't."

"No, man. Totally. Yeah."

"I don't need a rebound, alright!" Jackie chuckled and shoved his shoulder. Hyde shrugged,

"I'm good anyway." Hyde lied but thought nothing more of it. "Couldn't do that to Kelso, man."

Jackie dipped her head and nodded.

"Well..."She said quietly as the candle burned out into nothing leaving the pair in the dark. "It would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing... for you."

"Jackie. Totally no-strings, alright?"

"Yup."


	2. The Clean Up

Chapter Two  
The Clean Up

It was twelve o'clock the next afternoon when Hyde woke up. He had a moment of confusion when he woke in the bright, pink room. He groaned, shaking his head. What had he done?  
The bed was empty apart from him. It was a warm, sunny day outside, making up for the cold night before. There was nothing left behind of Jackie. No note. Not a thing. He felt it best to get dressed and head home. Mrs Forman was probably worried sick. He pulled himself to the small side bathroom, picking up his shirt and jacket on the way. The sink was wet and the soap had been used. It smelled strongly of perfume and hair products. She couldn't have been gone any more than an hour.

He dressed and washed, picking up a cigarette from the pack by the window sill before making his way to the Forman's. The sun made him squint but he couldn't stop trying to piece together what had happened. He was in Jackie's bed. His shirt and jacket were tossed aside. Had it happened? Hyde had no idea. He woke up with his jeans still on so he hoped and prayed that is was nothing more than heavy petting. He lit the cigarette before he made it to the basement stairs. Kelso was just at the bottom of the stairs with Donna. Hyde felt a flush of red burn up his neck and all over his back. He remained calm.

"Hey, guys!" Hyde chirped and took to the stairs, pushing into the basement. Jackie was sitting, flicking through a magazine on her lap with a cup of fresh tea in her hand. Fez sat with Eric on the back of the couch, trying to find a show to watch on TV. "Jackie. Guys." Hyde greeted them and put the cigarette out in the shower as he made a beeline for his bedroom. The minute he was inside the confines of his room, he stripped down and changed into fresh clothes. She seemed so unbothered. Had nothing happened?!

Later in the afternoon, everybody was eventually rounded up in the basement. There was a deafening silence between them all. It was Mrs Forman to break the silence.  
"Well, Steven, now you're home I can grab your ironing, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Where were you last night?!" Mrs Forman was chuckling, making her way to the back bedroom and rifling through the washing basket. Hyde fumbled but ended up just shrugging. "I left the back door unlocked, we could've well been robbed!" She laughed again and Hyde darted a look over to Jackie who had immediately looked away from him to look at the ceiling.  
"Sorry, Mrs Forman. I wasn't thinking." Hyde didn't dare look away from Jackie but she looked at him.

"Maybe you should've thought..." Jackie said, crossing her arms across her chest. Eric looked at Fez and Donna, his lips pressed together.

"Well... I'm going to grab dinner. It's weird down here today. Donna, you want to eat? Hyde?"

"I'll be up later." Hyde then eventually pulled away from Jackie's fluttering look. Fez grabbed his jacket and made his plans for the evening known before disappearing. Kelso sat between Hyde and Jackie now. He nodded his head back and forth at the silence.

"Yeah, I got a date with Laurie so I'll be seein' ya, guys!" Kelso jumped up and ran upstairs to the kitchen where everybody else was. The two were alone.

"Jackie, man..."

"Don't even go there, Steven. I know I'm irresistible but come on. Contain yourself." Jackie warned. Hyde just chuckled and shook his head,

"You wish, Burkhart. I'm over it. And you were looking at me first." Hyde slapped his thighs, getting up from his stool to grab a soda can from the crate on top of the dryer.

"Oh, so what? I look at everybody."

"Yeah, right. Look, Jackie, it was a one-time thing. If last night wasn't enough then that's just too damn bad. Looking at me when you think I don't notice isn't going to change my mind!"

"Oh, you're so full of crap, Steven!"

"Alright, alright. It's even. It happened. That's it. It's just like any other day. I still hate you-"

"And I still find you disgusting."

Hyde shrugged and cracked open his can, watching Jackie as she pulled out a Popsicle from the deep freeze.

"Good."

"Yeah. Good."

Hyde started to walk upstairs for dinner, taking a look back at Jackie who now sat in his chair with the TV Guide. He shook his head, knowing the mistake he had made.

* * *

That night, Donna and Eric snuggled on the couch and Jackie was gathering her things to head for home. Her father was back home and was eager to see his little girl. She hastily grabbed her coat and purse. Hyde gnawed on a toothpick, trying to satisfy his cravings.

"Will I see you tomorrow? To go shopping?" Donna asked when Jackie grabbed the door handle. She stopped and turned. She thought about what day it was and nodded,

"Yeah! I'll be here for eleven. We can grab lunch too!"

"Okay, yeah, cool!" Donna agreed, settling back into Eric's side. Jackie smiled and opened up the door to the basement. She said her goodbyes and made her way home. Hyde could finally breathe. That was until the clicking of her boots came back down the stairs. His sweaty palms were pressed down onto his knees and Jackie poked her head back in the door.

"Oh, Steven. I forgot to tell you," Jackie came fully back into the basement and inched past Donna and Eric's intertwined leg to whisper in Hyde's ear. Donna and Eric watched with curiosity. Jackie laughed and bent down to Hyde's ear. " _I was there the whole time. Right with you_."

Hyde cleared his throat almost immediately and rubbed his fingers against his palms, nodding and sighing. Jackie left again and left the three sitting with the buzz of television. Hyde was staring, pieces of the night flooding back to him. He nodded and slapped his thighs, just like he had done earlier in the day and made his way for his back room. He lay on his cot with his hands behind his head, remembering everything that happened second by second. Before long, an hour had passed and he had tired himself out just by thinking.

"Hey, Hyde?! You okay back there?! You're not snoring!" Eric called and Hyde laughed. He got up from his cot, fanning his shirt and laughing. He grabbed his heavy denim jacket from the pile of clean laundry and stepped into his boots. He re-entered the basement, heading straight for the door,

"I'm fine, man. I'm fine."


	3. The Realisation

Chapter Three  
The Realisation

Over the weeks, Jackie and Hyde had hooked up only a couple of times. Nobody knew. They would never let on. It was the day following Kitty's forgotten birthday. Eric and Red were out square-dancing with Donna and Kitty. Hyde was holed up in the basement. He was itching and antsing. It was like withdrawals. Jackie came down through the kitchen with Fez and Hyde jumped up from his seat, almost knocking over his can of stolen beer at his feet.

"Hello, Hyde! How are you today?" Fez asked, climbing over the couch. Hyde shrugged as Fez set up their usual smoking attire. He gestured for Jackie to come with him to his back room. And she did. He closed the door over gently.

"What's the matter?" Jackie asked, fixing her purse on her shoulder. Hyde slumped onto his cot as she remained standing.

"I overheard Donna talking to Eric. The past few days you've been thinking about Kelso and getting back with him. Now, maybe it's just me, but I don't want this to keep going on if you still wanna be with him, y'know what I'm saying? I'm his friend. And yes, you guys were over. But if you're wanting him back then this has got to stop." Hyde laid his thoughts out in plain sight for Jackie and she agreed.

"Right. I know that. That's why I'm here. No hard feelings. It's been really fun and hot and all kinds of edgy but it's finishing. I'm sorry if it hurts you but I'm getting Michael back. I over-reacted before."

"Jackie, it was just sex, alright? Go get him."

"Just sex?"

"I promise, yes. I know he wants you back too." Hyde admitted and got up from the cot,

"Then why did you keep letting us mess around?"

"'Cause now I know you both want the same thing. I thought Kelso was just love-sick."

* * *

Kelso passed Jackie's tests and the pair kept what they had done under wraps for as long as they could've until one night Jackie spent the night with Kelso. It had been going so good for so long. Their love life was back to what it was. They were head over heels for each other. Everything was new and exciting but at the same time, familiar and comfortable. Jackie didn't feel bad about kissing Kelso in front of Hyde. 'It was just sex' she told herself every time. Hyde shrugged it off. He was spending more time with Leo anyway and with Leo, came bags on bags of 'goodies' and beautiful women ready to get toasted. He didn't care anymore.

One night in Jackie's bedroom, things were heating up between the new loved-up couple. After everything, there was no guilt. It felt good being where she was getting absolutely worshiped. It escalated quicker than Jackie thought, and without thinking, "Steven" escaped from her chest and hit the warm air. Everything stopped. Jackie stopped.

"What?" Kelso looked up to her but she just relaxed. He looked broken. "That's not _my_ name!" He squealed and got up, grabbing his shirt from the bottom of the bed. Jackie groaned, rolling her eyes and getting up to go to the window for some fresh air.

"I know it's not."

"Jackie... 'Steven' better not be _our_ 'Steven'." Kelso crossed his arms and let his face drop when Jackie didn't respond. "Jackie, no! Not HYDE!" Kelso yelled making Jackie jump. She gripped the window sill and turned with fury and fire.

"We weren't together. You were with Laurie."

"Pft, yeah, so?! It's Hyde!"

"Saying his name isn't going to make it go away, Michael. I slipped up, okay?! You were playing two girls at one time and you can still sleep at night so give me a damn break!"

"You screwed Hyde behind my back!" Kelso yelled

"We weren't together, Michael! We hated each other!" Jackie was almost screaming and her fists were clenched, "You know what, Kelso? I don't have to explain myself to you any more, alright? I didn't cheat. I didn't lie. What I done on my time is my business. Get out."

"Jackie-"

"No. You've said your part. Go. This is finished purely because it's one rule for you but a totally different set for me. Get out." Jackie was practically pushing him out of the bedroom and into the hallway of her father's home. There were no tears. Just deep breaths. She wasn't going to call Hyde or Donna. Instead, she was calling the mall.

That night when Kelso had left Jackie, he was on a warpath for his so-called best friend. He wandered around thinking about where Hyde would be at this time of night. The Hub was closed and the streets were quiet. So Kelso headed for the Forman's.

The patio doors were swung open, making Kitty jump and almost drop her cocoa into the sink.

"Well, good Lord, Michael. What's going on?"

"Where is Hyde?" He asked, shaking and angry but all the while, looking sad.

"He's takin' a shower. Why?"

"He slept with Jackie." Kelso stormed through the kitchen and then the living room, clashing into Hyde on the stairs. "You!" Kelso yelled, pushing Hyde's damp shoulders back forcefully.

"Alright, Kelso. What's the matter, man?" Hyde asked. He was completely perplexed for some moments. But he seen the sadness in his friend's face and immediately understood. "Okay, man. Alright. Let me just say, it was my initiative. I instigated it, alright? She had nothing to do with it." Hyde covered Jackie as best as he could but Kelso had absolutely none of it. He was furious,

"Yeah, well, it takes two to tango, Hyde!"

"Yes, it does. But can I say that you guys were officially in Splitsville at the time. If I had known Jackie wanted you back, I wouldn't have. Not once. I swear, man. I respect you too much for that. I respect her too much. Look, I am sorry. But she was there, upset, angry at her mom and dad and you. We got baked and it happened. I wanted to when I was sober so I just followed through on it. Had I not turned up that night and smoked with her, this would not be happening. I assure you, man. You gotta believe me." Hyde apologised and made his way past Kelso to head down to the basement and get ready for bed. Kelso followed directly behind his friend, asking questions just to get it straight in his own head. By the time Hyde was dressed and Kitty was filled in after eavesdropping, Kelso understood.

"Alright, man. That was Jackie's argument too. I played her and Laurie. I know you're sorry, Hyde. I know. All is forgiven, buddy!" Kelso chuckled, pulling Hyde into a tight hug leaving Hyde even more confused.

"Wait, that's it?!"

"Well, if I argue anymore, you guys are just gonna keep bringin' up me cheatin' and I've heard that record before. Forgive and Forget, buddy! But I do get one thing before I forget, alright?" Kelso laughed and Hyde was pushed away. Hyde furrowed his brows and waited for whatever it was that Kelso had in store for him. Then it came. A swift and sturdy right hook the face. It made Hyde fall back into the record player and then into the shower curtain. And that was it. Over.


	4. The Clear-Out

Chapter Four  
The Clear-Out

Again, Jackie and Kelso had rekindled much to Hyde's surprise. It was the end of November when Hyde's face had returned to its normal colour. It was a hum-dinger of a belt. Kitty had roped Eric into the Church's nativity scene. He could direct and Kitty was excited for the rest of the gang to get actively involved. Jackie complained to Donna the whole car-ride to the Church, even Fez tried to shut her up. It didn't stop her.

"Why do we have to get involved?! The mall has a Winter-Extravaganza sale right now! I could get all your presents today, but no! I'm spending time with you all instead!"

"Hey, Jackie... Nobody in the car, or in the whole town gives a crap. We're helping out Mrs F." Kelso rolled his eyes, giddy in his seat. He was feeling particularly festive. "I just wanna get on stage! Hey, do you guys think there'll be talent-scouts?!" He leaned forward, shoving Jackie into Donna's side. Hyde just shoved Kelso's face back into his seat.

"Nobody cares. And besides, it's two weeks until the show. We can goof off until then!" Hyde chuckled, nodding his head. Eric shook his head, pulling into the church parking lot.

"Not anymore. We're gonna do this right. It's Christmas! Do you think Jesus half-assed it?! No. 'Cause he was Jesus, man. He brought it." Eric jumped out of the car first, rushing over to the doors of the Church to meet Pastor Dave. He was eager to start directing and being in charge for a change. Kelso followed him eagerly, waiting for his part to be given to him. Fez went with Donna but Jackie stayed by the car.

"Come on, man, we gotta do this. I don't wanna do it either." Hyde tried to coax Jackie to the church but she had none of it.

"No. I don't want to do this. There's better things to be doing. Actual important Christmas things."

"Like buying presents and getting your nails painted? Yeah, right. Come on, Jackie. Look, do it for Donna, man. It's her first Christmas without Midge, alright? She needs everybody."

"Oh, shut up, Hyde. she can see me everyday if she was that desperate. I'm gonna call Big Rhonda to take my place. Her and Fez are serious. It'll be fine." Jackie moved past Hyde and into the church, heading straight for Pastor Dave's office. She closed the door over, ignoring the curious questions from Fez and Donna. As Jackie called the Hub, it was lucky to catch one of Rhonda's friends. In no time, it was agreed that Jackie and Rhonda would swap places. the phone was hung up and Rhonda would be there within the hour. So Jackie said her goodbye's and promised that it would all be worth it. Hyde scowled, shaking his head at the audacity of Jackie jumping ship so soon. He stewed the rest of the day thinking about why he hadn't thought of that in the first place.

* * *

Back at the Forman's as Kitty prepared a light snack for herself and Red, Jackie entered through the back patio door. Kitty was confused.

"Jackie, why aren't you at the church? Did you walk back here in that cold?" She asked. Red said nothing but watched and drank his coffee. Jackie was low and she looked terribly upset. "Jackie, honey?" Kitty pulled out a chair at the table for her to sit. Jackie took a place between Red and his wife, shaking her head and being generally anxious.

"I don't know what to do, Mrs Forman."

"Well, about what? Leaving the show?"

"About Steven."

"What about him? Is he bein' an ass at church?!" Red jumped in and put his mug of coffee down onto the table quickly. "I oughta go and sort his ass out!"

"No, Mr Forman. He's fine. He's been fine."

"Is this about Michael? The whole thing that happened. That was a mess- y'know, I don't know how you kids get into those kind of situations, I really don't. I felt like I was in an episode of Days of Our Lives!"Kitty went on to talk about how confusing that day was but Jackie just attempted to ignore it and focus on why she was here in the first place.

"Mrs Forman, I messed up. I got back with Michael 'cause I thought we were in love! We were never in love. Not ever. He cheated with Pam Macy and God only knows who else. I caught him at the pep rally last week with Big Boob Brenda! And, they were just, so, all over each other!"

"Uh, huh. I don't see what this has to do with Steven, honey-"

"I went back to Michael and blew any chance I had. Now I can't go back because I don't grovel. I'm a Burkhart. People grovel to us!" Jackie started to take off her jacket and relax, "and I can't break up with Michael because I would have nobody on Christmas." Jackie was now sad for sure. Her voice was quieter and she was close to tears but Red had none of it. He turned to face her and put his hand on her shoulder kindly,

"Where's your dad this year?"

"He's working in Cancun. He's been gone for a few weeks. Look, it's talking about my mom and dad and Michael that got me into this mess!" Jackie pushed her face into her hands, trying her best not to cry. Red looked at Kitty who watched Jackie. He tried to get his wife's attention to no avail. They would discuss it later. "And, I can't work in that show with both of them there because I just feel guilty. I made a bad choice and it was a stupid, tall, cartoon loving mistake! I don't know why I let him do what he does! I don't know why I go back to him!" Jackie went on and on about running back to Kelso too many times before she pulled herself together and looked at Kitty dead in the eye. "Alright, Mrs Forman. If I can't have the one I want, I don't want either. Does that sound fair?"

Kitty looked immediately at Red with frantic eyes and a look of wonder. She fought for words but ultimately agreed.  
"Well, Jackie. You've made a bad decision before... a lot actually, but if this feels like a good one then we're right here. We support it. If it'll make you feel better."

"It will. I just need to focus a bit more on myself this holiday season. Take more time for Jackie!" She smiled and leaned back into the dining chair, proud of herself for making this decision. Red nodded, smiling with her,

"Alright, Jackie. 'Cause your dad ain't here this Christmas, you're more than welcome to have dinner here with us."

"Red, are you sick?" Jackie asked, squinting her eyes and raising an eyebrow.

"Well, fine. Starve!" Red snapped and went back to being grouchy, muttering into his coffee but Jackie was up on her feet and grabbing her purse and jacket,

"No, thank you! I'll be here! Thank you so much, Mr and Mrs Forman." She fled the house in a fit of excitement and ecstasy.


	5. The Vacation Part I

Chapter Five  
The Vacation Part I

Christmas Eve came by quickly. Nobody had seen Jackie for weeks. The weather this year had turned out to be worse than expected and the gang had planned a trip to Canada for New Years Eve. It seemed a long shot. Jackie had no idea about it.

Upstairs in the kitchen, Mrs Forman was baking lots of Christmas goods. Red sampled and observed every so often. Kelso had been dumped the second everybody came back from their first rehearsal at church but it didn't bring him down. He moved on quickly to Big Boob Brenda. They weren't officially dating yet. He sat on the couch in the basement, flipping through the pages of a comic book. Eric dozed on the seat opposite Hyde, bored of waiting for dinner and the family traditions. Donna was with her dad and had been for a couple of days. They were putting up their tree and trying not to think about Midge and her new life in California.

"I love the silence." Fez commented, breaking the sacred quiet. "Really brings the room together."

"Hey!" Hyde snapped, "it's bad enough we don't have TV reception. Put on a record or something." He leaned back in the chair, bored and tired, ready to go to bed. the click-clop of heels bounced down the basement stairs one at a time before the door swung open and let in the biggest draught. Jackie was back and there was something different about her.

"Where's Donna?" she asked almost immediately after the door had shut.

Hyde stared, trying to figure out what was different. To tell the truth, it was all different. But she was happy. Why? Her hair was shinier and her skin was clearer. She was still small and fragile but held herself stronger than ever. Hyde couldn't work her out.  
She inched past Kelso and Fez on the couch to sit on the arm of the couch nearest Hyde. But she paid no attention to him.

"Fez, man, you jinxed it." Hyde muttered and crossed his arms, "Her damn vulcan hearing sensed that it was quiet."

Jackie scoffed but resumed to sit giddily, bursting to share her news. She squealed and smiled at Eric and Fez before Eric gave in with a groan,

"God, tell us before you burst a vessel-"

"I got a job!" She nodded and looked around at everybody now, barely able to sit still.

"Alright, Jackie! Where?" asked Fez and Hyde,

"The Cheese Palace! I got paid today!"

"Well, well. Look at you serving society." Eric smiled blankly, groaning shortly after. He was back to being bored and tired.

"Yeah, I thought since I dumped Michael, I'll put all my energy and time into earning some money."

Hyde sat up and uncrossed his arms. Eric looked at Fez with a wide expression.

"Wait, alright, so you and Kelso broke up?" Hyde asked, leaning past Jackie to look at Kelso, "why didn't you tell us, man?!" Hyde seemed displaced and a bit bewildered at the bombshell Jackie had just dropped.

"That doesn't matter. I realised that I don't need Kelso or any man to fill in my spare time. When that happened, I was losing money, buying him stuff. But now, I work with a nice manager and I get paid."

"But... you hate poor people-" Fez began,

"Not when their poor-people cheese-money is buying me new clogs!" Jackie squealed and jumped up, tottering off upstairs to share her news with Kitty and Red. The guys sat and looked into space before turning to Kelso with stern stares. Kelso barely noticed but started to explain himself.

"I didn't wanna bore you guys. We always break up. We'll be back together soon. she always comes back."

"She got a job, you moron! She doesn't have time for your cheating ass 's moved on." Hyde tried to explain in the plainest terms but Kelso laughed it off, reassuring himself and the guys that Jackie and himself would be a couple again. He was oblivious to Jackie and Hyde's reasoning that was just explained. He was deluded and stuck in the same routine.

Eric leaned back in his own chair, crossed his arms and looked at Hyde intently.  
"Why do you care about Jackie moving on?"

"What, man? What?" Hyde looked at Eric and peered through his glasses at him, "I don't. Just, y'know, this dill-hole didn't tell us. I'd say it was pretty breaking-news."

"But you've never cared before. Maybe Jackie will have some time in her busy life for me now." Fez said dreamily, fixing his sweater vest when he got to his feet to follow Jackie upstairs.

* * *

There was a surprise when Jackie sat down the next day to the family's dinner. Eric looked at Red and Red just smiled at his wife. Hyde was itching to get her away from the table and his life but he couldn't. Instead, he ate through the quiet dinner with furious thoughts in his head. Why hadn't she told him they had broken up? Was she really done with guys? Was she gay?

"Steven, honey, you're not talking much." Kitty had paused her dinner and sipped some water, peering her eyes at her adopted son. He just put his fork down politely and swallowed his food.

"I'm just excited for our trip away tomorrow." He smiled, looking at Eric and nodded, leaning to high-five over the table. Red rolled his eyes and encouraged Jackie to keep eating. She had stopped.

"Wait, you guys are going on vacation for New Year?! Why didn't anybody tell me?"

"Aw. It sucks when people don't tell you things." Hyde grinned and gave her a dirty look and Jackie scoffed.

"Well, if Donna is going, I am going. You guys aren't abandoning me here on New Years. I am too much fun!" She quickly grabbed her fork and went on to finish the nice meal Kitty had made. Kitty hesitated before sipping her water again, staring at the middle of the table in disbelief of her sons.

"Well, Jackie. You go right on ahead. You make the most of this year. You can bunk with Donna at the cabin, ah-ha-ha-ha!" Kitty snorted a little bit and dipped her head, shaking her hand for the attention to be passed over to someone else. Nobody else had the chance. Kitty chimed in again, "You kids just have to be safe. There's blizzards coming. Make sure you have plenty of blankets and socks and underwear. Eric, honey, wear your thermals. Steven... you wear those boots you always wear. But, Jackie, you really bundle up. You're so skinny."

Jackie grinned and looked at Eric and Hyde, brightly glowing at the compliment. "I'm skinny!"

Kitty clapped her hands, making everybody start eating again, "Come on, finish dinner and then you get presents!"


	6. The Vacation Part II

Chapter Six  
The Vacation Part II

Everybody was overly stuffed from Kitty's regal dinner that had been laid out. Red was almost snoozing in his chair as Eric and Hyde sat side by side on the couch. Jackie kept her distance over at the bar stools with a Shirley Temple. Kitty gathered the few presents from beneath the small tree to give to her family and Jackie. She was truly grateful. The small group tore into their gifts.

"I got a fishing trip in March! Thanks, honey!" Red beamed and pecked his wife's cheek.

"Aw, wow, Mom. The 8-track! Thank you so much!" Eric was stunned. Kitty sat on the arm of Red's chair and watched Jackie and Hyde's face light up.

"I got some cosy sleepy-sock! Thanks, Mrs Forman!" Jackie held onto the socks that were just so soft and warm to the touch.

"Alright! Coupons for the record store! Thanks!"

"Well, I'm just glad you kids are getting out of my house for a week and I'm just happy Red, you're leaving the house in a few months to let me spring clean!" She chuckled to herself and gathered up the wrapping paper from the couch and the floor. She was in that kind of mood where she didn't care about the gifts her family got her. She was happy. Jackie, Eric and Hyde took their presents to their separate rooms. Jackie stayed in Laurie's room across from Eric and all Eric could do was gush about his 8-track. Even with Laurie's room door closed over, she heard him fawning. While being alone, Jackie decided to draw up a list of things she would need for the trip. On the finalised list, she marked off as she went along.

Underwear  
2x Jeans  
2x Skirts  
Boots  
Booties  
Clogs  
Sandals (why not?)  
6x blouses  
3x Socks  
3x Pajamas  
Make-up  
Blow-Dryer  
Skin Care  
Hair Care  
Moisturiser  
Foot Balm  
Manicure Kit  
Pedicure Kit

There was a knock at the door as Jackie was mid-way through reading her list.  
"Come in," She had her back to the door, organising her overnight bag from the day before. She folded up her pajamas and the rest of her over-night gear when Hyde walked in. Jackie briefly turned, "Hey." She was quiet and nonchalant.

"Hey. Uh, Jackie about earlier at dinner-"

"Don't worry about it, Steven." Jackie was cool and plain, turning to move past him and enter the en-suite. She started to gather her toothbrush and all her lotions and potions from the sink-side.

"No, it was uncalled for."

"Why are you being nice? I'm over it." She laughed, walking past him again to her over-night bag. Hyde was confused. Her face seemed to read as genuine but her voice was something entirely. She was up to something but wouldn't dare let on. "How are we getting to that cabin tomorrow?"

"Oh, uh, I'm taking the Camino. I have a big bag of good-stuff and I don't want Fez going in around it with his bare hands. Also, more space for blankets and emergency road-gear and stuff. I'm taking all that stuff. Forman's taking everybody else."

"Cool. I'll see you tomorrow then." Jackie dismissed him politely and zipped up her belongings. Hyde stammered and stuttered, turning slightly for the door to leave but as though Jackie had sense he was going to speak, she dismissed him again, this time, turning to smile. Hyde left, confused. Why was she being so kind? He practically annihilated her at dinner. Called her out. Why did this whole thing bother the crap out of him? He didn't even know himself. It wasn't as though he was frustrated. He had been getting enough tail to last him. He always had his buddies. There was always beer. He decided to push the thought out of his mind until the next day when he'd have to spend a week with her.

That night, Jackie walked back to her house and gathered the items from her list for the spontaneous getaway the very next morning.

* * *

It was close to six in the morning when Hyde and Eric woke up. The cars were getting packed up when Jackie awoke to Kelso's yelling in the driveway. Hyde accidentally slammed his fingers in the trunk. Hyde and Eric cackled with a sleepy Fez, yawning and falling over himself. Jackie got herself together, calling for someone to catch her things out of the window as they were too heavy to carry downstairs. Everything had been compressed into one large suitcase and it took both Eric and Kelso to catch it. By the time Jackie made it downstairs, the cars had been warmed up and Donna was there. Hyde covered the bed of the Camino in it's protective covering as the others tried to make themselves comfortable in the Vista Cruiser. Fez was on Jackie's knee and Kelso's large sleeping bag was poking Donna in the back of the head through the backseat.

"Alright. This isn't working." Jackie squirmed and struggled to get out of the car. Eventually she did. "Michael, put your stuff on the space between Fez and you. That means Donna isn't getting her head beaten around the entire drive."

"How will you get there?" Eric turned from the driver's seat and Hyde came around, offering Jackie a space in the Camino. This lead Kelso to tumble out of the backseat, protesting loudly and fumbling to stand straight. Everybody winced. It was too early for shouting. "Kelso, get in the car. C'mon man."

"No! Because they're going to do it! I swear! No! I don't trust them!"

Eric looked at Donna and Fez started the laughing fit. The laughter was a total riot. Hyde nodded, heading for his own car.

"Oh, Kelso. That's good. That's funny. Now get in the car." Eric sniffed and smiled, Jackie slamming the door on Fez and Kelso. She tottered over a small patch of ice before sliding into the passenger seat of the Camino. It was much warmer than the Vista Cruiser so she immediately took her jacket off and sat it at her feet. Hyde's single rucksack sat between the pair.

"So, how long is it going to take? Canada can't be that far." Jackie relaxed into the car as Eric pulled away from the drive-way first. Hyde shrugged, following behind,

"I don't know. It's about seven hundred miles. If I do eighty the whole way there... Pft, it'll be about nine hours-"

"Nine hours?! _Nine_?! Oh this is so _not_ worth it."

"It should be. I got two kegs back there and Fez' Amaretto. He got a few bottles of that. It'll be worth it."

Jackie just laughed and watched the road out ahead. After a little time of silence, Jackie returned to the alcohol situation.

"I managed to sneak some wine from my dad's cabinet. He won't notice. but they're vintage. So they'll be good."

Hyde knew Jackie's father and understood that he would never mess around with vintage wines.


	7. The Game

Chapter Seven  
The Game

Canada was spectacular. There was forestry for miles as far as the eye could see. The gang's small cabin seemed big enough for them all if they topped-and-tailed the entire vacation. It was warm and homely, much like Jackie's father's cabin they had been to before. It was past dinner time as the gang had settled into their rooms. Jackie was propped onto the couch with Fez in the armchair. Hyde and Kelso decided to share one of the bedrooms as Eric and Donna took the master bedroom. The group christened the cabin with a Circle.

 _"It's nice here, man. Too nice. Damn Canadians." Eric went on with Donna by his side. Hyde chuckled, sipping a beer._

 _"Yeah, man! We should do this more often. No, we should all live here! Can you imagine?!"_

 _"Oh, yeah," Hyde started, disinterested and annoyed, "every-time you got to the store you get a damn flat!" He cursed, going on to drink more of his beer faster. Jackie rolled her eyes and went on to file her nails, ignoring the stupidity around her._

 _"Get over it. It's fixed now. Aren't you glad it happened just outside of a garage?" She muttered._

 _"God, the attitude. Just because you're sleeping on the couch, damn." Kelso cackled, receiving a slap from Jackie's nail-file and then the back of Hyde's hand._

 _Hyde stepped in, "Yeah, man. No thanks to you. ' **Oh, Jackie, no. I deserve the big bed. I'm older** '."_

 _"I don't see you offering **your** bed." Donna commented and crossed her arms, watching a heated argument brew._

 _"I am one of the drivers that got us here. I deserve comfort."_

 _"'Cause you wouldn't let me drive the other three-hundred miles to take the load off of you." Jackie hissed and threw her nail-file down._

 _"Please, can we just have fun and play a game? I brought Operation!" Fez whined, sipping the bottle of Amaretto at his side._

 _The group in unison yelled at Fez and the group dispersed to do their own thing._

Jackie wound down by flipping through a magazine on the couch as Eric tried to stoke the fire. Donna helped him, handing him kindling a bit at a time. They were the picture perfect Hallmark couple. It made Jackie furious. All of a sudden, despite claiming to everybody in the basement, that she was done with men, Jackie seen the love between Eric and Donna. Why couldn't she have that? Jackie snapped out of her anger and depression when Hyde leaned on the back of the couch, sinking into a squat so he could be at her eye level.

"What do you want?" She asked, putting her feet up on the couch and also leaning her head onto the back of the couch. Hyde smiled.

"I had fun earlier."

"Oh, yeah. 'Flat tyre'. I almost didn't believe you." Jackie scoffed and Hyde stood up straight, walking out to the porch with a can of beer.

* * *

It was nearing midnight when everybody seemed pretty stoned and liquored up. Fez proposed a game of Never Have I Ever. Though the group thought they knew each other's stories, this game could blow everything out of the water. They all agreed. Jackie sat on the armchair by the fire as Eric and Donna sat side by side on the couch. Kelso knelt at Eric's feet as Fez and Hyde piled onto the larger armchair.

Their cups were filled and they toked up, ready to play. They went one at a time in a circle, asking questions and excluding themselves from the given question.

"Never Have I Ever; shoplifted from the mall." Jackie asked, watching each one of her friends. Hyde drank first and then Donna and Kelso.

"Kelso, man, we know you did. You got caught!" Eric pushed Kelso over onto his side and Kelso nodded,

"Oh, yeah!"

It was Donna's turn and she chuckled, looking at Eric and Fez. They knew what she would ask. She could barely ask the question for laughing.

"God, spit it out, lumberjack!" Jackie sighed, drinking her beer impatiently.

"Never Have I Ever; said the wrong name during sex... Begin."

The room became tense. Everybody was eyeing each other. Hyde stared at Donna who just beamed a large smile at him. Jackie looked at Kelso, shaking her head slightly. Nobody moved.

"This is a set-up." Hyde muttered, slowly lifting his cup a centimeter at a time, watching for any change in his friends' faces. Jackie dipped her head low, turning away to face the wall and take her drink. Donna's mouth fell open and she laughed, shaking her head at Jackie, eventually nodding and turning to Hyde who was only inches from taking his drink. "It's a fix." He said quietly before downing his drink.

"So, Jackie, we'll start with you. Who was it with and who did you want it to be with?" Eric asked, batting his eyes and putting his arm around the back of Donna's shoulders. Jackie glared and put her empty cup on the floor. Kelso scoffed and Jackie jumped to life,

"Not a word, Michael! I'll scream." She stared him down until he wouldn't say anything. Eric shrugged, looking to his best friend, Hyde who was angrily watching Donna.

"I'm not sayin' it." Hyde was calm and relaxed back into the chair beside Fez, smoking some more and minding his own business. "Damn you, Patti. Damn you." He cursed almost silently.

"What? Did you just say 'Jackie'?" Eric asked, smugly.

"The hell I did, Forman! The hell I did!"

"What?!" Kelso asked. He looked up at Hyde but Hyde just laughed,

"Nothin', man. Just Forman bein' a jackass!" Hyde reassured Kelso before glaring up at Eric and Donna on the sofa. "Let's play another game."

"Ooh, I know!" Fez sat up excitedly.

"Anything but this." Jackie pleaded.

* * *

Eric and Donna had went to bed by the time the other game had been decided. Kelso didn't come back from his and Hyde's bedroom when he went to change. The last time Fez checked, he was face down on the bed with his jeans around his ankles and his t-shirt half-off. Hyde sat, cross-legged on the floor, rolling smokes for the coming days. He had a system. Jackie watched how precise he was being. She held the cereal box that Hyde would use as filters. He would hold his hand out for her to rip off little segments of the top of the open box. It was team-work. Despite being drunk, Hyde worked relentlessly through Fez' thinking out loud about games.

"Spin the Bottle? I mean, on one hand, I could kiss Jackie. On the other... I could get you, Hyde."

"I'll take that risk, little buddy." Hyde finished the last roach and set them all aside into a tin that he slipped into the open cereal box and put back into the kitchen cupboard.

Fez excitedly necked the rest of his liquor and sat it between the three of them on the floor. Jackie waited for Fez to spin. It was going to be one of the two. Hyde dreaded kissing Fez but it luckily never came to it. It landed on Jackie and she gently leaned and pecked the side of his mouth. This lead Fez to complain and groan. Jackie lied, mentioning the smell of almonds made her break out. Fez understood. He nodded and let Hyde spin. It landed on Jackie. The two looked at each other and that was that. As they made out, totally disregarding their friend, Fez took it upon himself to spin the bottle for Jackie. It landed on him and he weakly laughed,

"Yay. Jackie, you got me!"


	8. The Double Bedroom

Chapter Eight  
The Double Bedroom

The coming days got worse with the weather. Everybody was in each other's space all day, every day. They were soon terribly comfortable with each other. They snapped at each other easily and blazing barely helped. Jackie and Hyde argued like there was no tomorrow and Donna and Eric even fought over things like who had left the damp towel on the bathroom floor. It was entirely trivial. Fez just snacked on candy and cereal, staying drunk the entire time that he could tune everything out. It came to New Year's Eve. The argument of the day was; Who left the kitchen window open all night and let the kitchen freeze over?

"I went to bed early. Well, I went to the couch early." Jackie defended herself.

"I was listening to some records in mine and Hyde's room. He was reading." Kelso interjected.

It was pathetic excuses to get out of owning up but by the time lunchtime hit, Jackie and Eric had decided it was time to go home and abandon the trip. There was no phone service at any of the phones in the cabin or even the emergency ones on the road leading to the cabins. There was no way to get back. The tires of the cars were wedged into the snow that was so deep, the doors couldn't open for the height and density of the weather. Eric and Jackie actively tried to dig out the Vista Cruiser themselves with their things waiting by the front door. They worked quickly and together as well as they could with the blizzard starting again. Eric tossed his shovel out into the treeline and stormed back inside,

"What is the point?! We're stuck here for the rest of our lives! When does it not snow in Canada?!"

Jackie followed behind when the snow ruined her makeup and it was dripping into the fresh snow in front of her.

They were all suffering slightly from cabin fever. Eric missed his mom and even his dad. He just wanted to hear them talking again. Donna missed her dad so much that it really upset her whenever she spoke of home. Fez was drunk the entire time so he didn't miss anything about Point Place except the chicks. Kelso matched his little buddy. He missed the girls back home and The Hub. Jackie missed her dad just like Donna did with Bob. She missed the mall and strangely, the basement. Hyde joked out of boredom about experimenting with hard drugs and liquor when he got back home 'cause he felt he needed to heal from this trip. Everybody just waved him off. They were done. They couldn't stay and they couldn't leave. Food was running low but their kegs were still practically full. They decided to tap their first keg and drink in silence until it was 1978.

Donna couldn't let the year end on a sour-note.

"Who are you guys kissing at midnight?"

The group just looked lazily amongst themselves until Hyde perked up,

"Hopefully, the bleach under the sink."

"Me too." Eric joined. They sounded like zombies. Disinterested, frustrated and anxious. Donna wouldn't have it. She drank her beer and ordered everybody to their rooms to wash up and get into smarter clothes. She took it upon herself to make a dinner out of anything she could salvage.

* * *

As Donna worked, Jackie asked timidly to borrow the bathroom the Hyde and Kelso had off of their double bedroom. She had her clothes and bag of makeup in a pile on her arms. It was Kelso that opened up the door. The stench of deodorant and cologne was strong. It made Jackie almost light headed. She closed herself into the bathroom as Hyde changed his shirt and Kelso changed his socks and boots.

"Hey, man?" Kelso asked quietly when he heard the shower turn on, "I'm gonna give up my bed to Jackie for the last few days. Poor girl's out there on the couch with Fez watchin' her every night!" He laughed. Hyde looked confused,

"You're gonna be on the couch right? This isn't some rag-tag way to get her back with you is it?" Hyde looked displeased as he sprayed himself with deodorant.

"Nah. I have Brenda and Pam Macy and Laurie back home. Jackie made it clear she wants nothing to do with me like that. I'm fine with that."

"So, you went from playing two girls to playing three, one after another? Kelso, where's your soul?" Hyde asked but Kelso just threw a dirty sock at his friend. There was some laughter. Eric knocked on the door and slipped in, sitting on the edge of Hyde's bed. "What's the matter, man?"

"It's Donna. She's making Lucky Charm Surprise with Vienna sausages and other stuff." Eric sounded defeated and weak-willed, "I don't know if I can eat this, man. I don't have her lumberjack digestive system. I don't."

"Shut up, Forman. She cares and wants us to eat and be merry, damn! Try bein' a little more grateful for that girl!" Kelso scoffed and headed out of the bedroom, leaving Eric and Hyde together on the end of Hyde's bed. They ignored Kelso's outburst and started to have a real conversation,

"So... What's your resolution?" Eric asked just as the shower turned off again. Hyde scoffed, sighing heavily and shaking his head, "You gotta have one. My resolution is to get into Oshkosh. And look for a new job." Eric coaxed Hyde into coming up with a resolution but there was nothing solid.

"I don't know. Jog more? What do you want from me?" laughed Hyde and shoved his friend's shoulder, grabbing his boots to pull on and head through for dinner,

"I wanna know why it bothered you so much that Kelso didn't tell us about him and Jackie breaking up. That's what I want." Eric had become more serious which made Hyde look and laugh,

"What? It didn't bother me. It was weird. He always tells us. That's it." Hyde shook off the thought of what Eric was trying to get at. He didn't like Jackie. He tolerated her and messed around with her on the odd occasion. But that was it. She had sworn herself off of men in favour of her new job and Hyde was fine with that. Eric didn't buy it though.  
"Look, man. Jackie annoys me. I loathe her. Yes, I slipped up with Patti but it didn't mean anything. Maybe she was hot to me back then and that's why I messed up. But now, she's just the same, tiny, annoying and shrill little demon in clogs. I don't like Jackie and I don't care who she goes with now that she's dumped Kelso. Y'know, she could go off with the Channel 5 Weather Guy and I'll be fine with it. Really. But, yeah, man, I mean, I messed up with Patti, Jackie is out of my system... We should've brought more broads up here with us. Damn."

Eric sat quietly and nodded before placing his hands on his knees and heading for the door, leaving Hyde with a comment. "I only asked about the break-up, Hyde."

Hyde's neck flared up with a deep warmth. What was going on? They were just, purely fooling around. No strings, no weirdness. Just relief for both of them. And now, Hyde had practically poured his heart out to Forman. He was oblivious to the reason Jackie had gotten a job and dumped Kelso. He had no idea and there was no chance of Jackie sharing with him what she shared with Mr and Mrs Forman that night in December.

* * *

The group sat at a fine dinner of Lucky Charms and Vienna Sausage Casserole in the center of the thick wooden table. They sat in silence. Hyde sat at one end of the table, opposite Donna and Eric sat beside Fez. Jackie and Kelso sat side by side. They all picked at the Lucky Charm crumble that sat on top of the gravy and sausages. Fez gagged but Donna agreed. She was the first to push away her plate.

"Alright, it's crap. I get that. I get it. I just don't want us to spend the last day of the year sitting being bitter old people!"

"We're not old-" Hyde began,

"Yeah, just bitter." Jackie placed her plate on top of Kelso and then Hyde's before passing the pile to Eric. "I'd rather just drink beer and have a _lot_ of quiet time."

"No. We done that earlier. Look, I spoke to Hyde earlier and I thought this might be fun... We'll go around the table and share what we want to get out of next year. Resolutions and stuff. I'll go first;" Eric began and put his hand on top of Donna's, "My resolution is to get into Oshkosh University and get a new job. Donna, how about you?"

Donna hummed in thought whilst gathering the cutlery from around the table. When all the cutlery was set on top of the plates, she had decided. "I want to move away after Graduation. We'll graduate in June and I hope to be in Madison by July. That's my goal. Get through school and get a radio job in Madison. What about you, Fez?" Donna picked up the plates, taking them to the sink, rinsing them off as Fez was very open with his ideas,

"Well, I would like to get a girlfriend and then a summer girlfriend and then maybe a Fall girlfriend. I get lonely. I wouldn't be lonely with a girlfriend."

"Fez, do you want that commitment of a girlfriend? I mean, making sure she's alright and, y'know, caring? Would you do that?"

"Yeah, or do you just want the sex? 'Cause if it's sex you want, I'm sure Eric's sister will be happy to help there. Just, so long as you pay her half when you begin then half when you finish." Jackie joked with Kelso and Hyde high-fived her. Eric shook his head and clapped his hands together,

"Moving on from my demon of a sister; Hyde, what's your resolution or goal?" He smiled at his friend, both of them remembering what happened the last time they discussed it. Hyde shook his head and shrugged,

"To pass school. Jackie, what about you?"

"No, no, Steven. Something better," Eric pressed, "Donna's moving to Madison, Fez is getting a girlfriend and I'm getting a job. C'mon, buddy. There must be _somethin'_ you want." Eric leaned on his hand and smiled smugly. Hyde was half-turned off of his chair, ready to get up and leave for a smoke but he decided to answer first. His hand that was on top of the table became a fist and Hyde looked at Eric,

"I'm going to _jog more_. I told you this earlier, man. Listen!" Hyde chuckled and tossed a spare napkin over to Eric and gestured for Jackie to go next. Hyde stared Eric down for the entirety of Jackie's schpiel. He only picked up on ' _make-up_ ' and ' _pep rallies that you're all invited to_ '.

"You hear that, Hyde? We're _all_ invited to the pep rallies." Eric remained smug and smiled continuously at his friend who seemed to be having none of it.

"Who needs that much school cheer?"

"Well, obviously the cheerleaders and jocks!" Donna rallied from the sink, kicking her leg up like a cheerleader and shaking the plates in her two hands like pom-poms. "Where's your school spirit, Hyde?"

"Dead. Like my goal of getting out of here before midnight!" Hyde matched Donna's excited tone and cheered his way away from the table.


	9. The New Years Kiss

Chapter Nine  
The New Years Kiss

Fez chopped and changed the records several times over when it was nearing midnight. It came to having only ten minutes left in the year. Eric stood up with his beer, clearly unsteady. Jackie was tipsy too. Her head couldn't hold itself up. She was ready to go to bed. Donna wasn't drunk despite all the beer she had put away. She seemed to be the only one. Eric gestured for everybody to stand with him. Jackie pushed herself up from her chair by the fire, fixing her jeans as she made her way over to the small group. Eric started with the beginning of the year. What they were all doing last year.

"Can anybody remember? I'm blanking!" He chuckled quietly and put his hand on Donna's shoulder, the beer in his cup splashing onto Donna's shoulder and then down her leg.

"You sat upstairs with Kitty and Red and all their friends. I came up to sneak beers for me and Fez and Kelso. I remember." Hyde laughed and Kelso nodded, tumbling through the space between Jackie and Fez,

"And you actually got 'em!" Kelso chortled and slapped Hyde's chest.

Eric continued through Kelso's hilarity and Fez' early on-set puking out on the porch that reeked of candy and beer. Jackie covered her mouth and turned away from the direction of the door, holding her gags to herself. As Eric rambled on about the coming year much like his own father would be doing right about this time, Hyde looked down at his watch. There was one minute left. Hyde put his hand to Eric's face to shut him up and called Fez back from the porch. Fez was doing much better and stopped into Hyde and Kelso's shared room to squeeze toothpaste into his mouth. Everybody grimaced. Eric stood by Donna with his arm now around her and a beer in his free hand. Kelso stood beside Donna and Jackie with Hyde handing Jackie a fresh beer from the tap. Fez squirreled his way into the standing circle between Eric and Hyde.

"Alright. 1978!" Kelso cheered repeatedly, standing loosely by Jackie and Donna with a goofy smile.

"Just to be clear, after we celebrate, we're digging the car out and going home? Yeah? Can we do that?"Jackie asked and drank her beer,

"Definitely!" Donna laughed and lifted Hyde's arm to look at the time.

Ten seconds.

The group counted down together and all hut their plastic cups of beer together as it hit midnight. Donna made way to hug Jackie and wish her the best for the year. Jackie then hugged Fez and then Kelso who practically pushed her out of the way to tackle Fez in a tight hug as Eric and Hyde shook hands. Eric let his hand drop and he and Donna gave each other a loving kiss. Fez and Kelso hugged each other tightly and as they done so, they chugged their beers, squashing the cups in their hands before resuming on their hug.

"Happy New Year, little buddy!" Kelso squeezed Fez in their hug.

Hyde turned and looked down at Jackie, weakly smiling and chuckling, sipping his beer. Jackie set her beer down on the coffee table that separated them both from Eric and Donna.

"Nope." Hyde commented, coughing slightly and sniffing. He looked down into his cup of beer and shook his head. He was drunk and still making good decisions.

"It's bad luck. You don't get kissed, you're lonely the whole year." Jackie said in a tone-serious voice. Hyde looked up from his beer and nodded this time, looking down at her again. She was right after all.

"Alright." Hyde shrugged and put his cup down to take Jackie into a strong hold.

Donna hugged Eric tightly and eventually opened her eyes onto the sight of Hyde and Jackie together for longer than they should be. Inside, she was repulsed and done everything in her power to distract Eric. Firstly, from hugging Eric, she picked up Jackie's cup of beer and threw it at both Hyde and Jackie before kissing Eric again, her eyes on them the whole time. She urged with her hand to move them away and without even thinking Hyde picked up Jackie and his still standing beer, taking them both into his and Kelso's double bedroom. The second the door was closed, Donna pulled away and took Eric's hand out onto the porch, handing him the shovel he had earlier,

"Come on. Get digging. We're leaving. Now." Donna jumped down and into the snow, searching for the other shovel. Eric giggled and took to the steps slowly before starting to dig.

"Why leave now? We could go to bed." Eric said quietly, shoveling snow sloppily aside from the Vista Cruiser.

"I miss my dad, okay? Kelso! Fez! Come help!" Donna yelled past Eric into the cabin. She had to keep everybody busy. Fez came out first and fell into the snow in the dark with only the light from the porch illuminating the foursome working. Kelso dug the Camino out with his hands but didn't question why they were digging. "Alright, when we get dug out, we'll go home. We can be home in time for lunch-time!" Donna tried to keep them motivated for a small while but Eric waned quickly and Kelso's hands turned white. Fez was snoring. There was no way any of them were leaving tonight. Eric helped Kelso drag Fez inside onto the couch where he continued to snore and reek of puke. Kelso collapsed beside his buddy on the floor as the fire died down. Everybody was out before 1am. Donna sat in her bed upstairs beside a sleeping Eric who hadn't even changed his clothes. There were so many questions roaming around Donna's head. Some of them were hard to comprehend.

 _Why were they kissing?_

 _Why did they go off to bed together?_

 _They hate each other?_

 _They hate everything?_

* * *

Downstairs in the double bedroom, Hyde and Jackie were sat up against the headboard of Hyde's bed, just laughing and having a good time together. Hyde reached over Jackie to pick up the digital clock from the nightstand. It was almost 4am and they could hear snoring from the living area. Everybody was sleeping.

"Why aren't we sleeping? We should be sleeping." Jackie sighed, catching a glimpse of the clock before Hyde set it back down again.

"We were busy." Hyde chuckled and handed his smoke to her. She took it and fixed the sheets that covered her. He put his arm behind his head and just relaxed for the first time since they had got there. He sniffed and put his hand on her leg over the sheets, "Alright. I'll make you a deal. You make my skin crawl and not in the good way-"

"Likewise." Jackie agreed and puffed away, waiting for Hyde's proposition,

"We tell nobody about this. And forget this happened."

"Totally. This can't keep happening." Jackie said sternly before chuckling and giving herself away. "But honestly, this has to stop. I don't want any guys right now. Not even as fun."

"Right. I don't need any broad in my life. I got finals." Hyde nudged her with a smile, handing her the ashtray that he knew he was going to steal the minute they left the cabin.

"Steven Hyde has got his finals. No time for ladies. Message recieved."

"And you. You've got your cheese-thing goin' on. No time for anything else."

"Oh, that's a weekend thing! But, you gotta study. So any after-school specials are a no-go." Jackie shrugged and passed the smoke to Hyde who was looking at her like a sad puppy. "It was your words! This has to stop." She enunciated each word until Hyde smiled and gave in to lean on her bare shoulder. He groaned,

"Fine. Fine. No more. Fine. Alright. Deal." He sighed on her shoulder before setting his roll-up into the ashtray on her lap and kissing her shoulder.


	10. The Discussion

Chapter Ten  
The Discussion

The group left the next afternoon and managed to make it home for dinner. Hyde and Eric disappeared to their rooms to fight the raging hangover that all the guys seemed to suffer from. Jackie sat in the Forman's kitchen with Mr and Mrs Forman as the dinner for the evening was prepared. She toyed around with the small compact in her purse before setting it down on the table with a loud clack. Kitty jumped and almost dropped the pot-roast.

"Mrs Forman? You remember when I said to you about the whole Michael-Steven thing? How I shouldn't have either if I can't have one? Do you remember?" Jackie asked nervously, sitting closer to the edge of her seat,

"I do." Red groaned and sat down the book he was given for Christmas by Bob. Jackie turned immediately to him,

"Well, what if I want one now? I know I shouldn't and I'm being stupid," Jackie squealed and Red agreed, "But I don't want to until I know he feels the same. I don't know if he does."

"Well who are we talking about now?" Kitty asked when the oven door was closed over and her oven gloves were placed down on the countertop.

"Steven, obviously!" Jackie snapped out of nervous disposition. "Mrs Forman, can you find out for me?"

"Jackie..." Red sighed and shook his head as Kitty grew more and more excited by the second,

"You want me to spy? On Steven?!"

"Yeah, like Charlie's Angels. Just ask, like, subtle questions, and bring me up in conversation. Little things." Jackie said, getting to her feet and standing with and excited Kitty. The older woman nodded rapidly and took Jackie's hands into hers,

"I will do it. Accepted. I'll be subtle."

* * *

Back in the basement, Jackie had found the presents she had forgotten to give Hyde and Eric on Christmas. Hyde was lying on the couch with his sweater on, his hood pulled up and his glassed lying on the floor. Eric had moved from his bed to the dryer and washer where he lay now. Jackie walked especially hard coming down the stairs and tossed their presents at them.

"Merry Christmas!" She said chirpily and put the TV on to a game-show. "Open them!" Jackie laughed, hitting Hyde's leg to get him to move. The pair groaned and took in sharp breaths. They couldn't move. "Aren't you glad I drove us back home? And aren't you glad that Donna got _you_ home?" Jackie turned to Eric who was drooling onto the floor. He groaned, nodding slightly.

"It's getting worse!" Eric almost yelled. Hyde pushed himself up on the couch and took Jackie's present that had fallen onto the floor,

"It's only bad when you talk!"Hyde pulled off his sock and threw it at his friend on the washer. He fixed his sweater and decided to unwrap the gift that Jackie got him. From the feel, it was clothing. When he ripped it open, it was a T-Shirt. A Led Zeppelin T-Shirt.

"From their tour. I had my cousin send me it." Jackie smiled and Hyde held it tightly. He nodded and stood up slowly to try it on, stopping to kiss the top of Jackie's head on his way to his bedroom.

Eric got only socks.

* * *

Eventually as the blizzards stopped and the roads were cleared, schools started again just a few days later. Everybody was cramming to catch up on lost study time when they got home. Hyde actually had books out in the basement and in his room to study. Eric studied once in a while. Jackie spent her free time working and waiting for Mrs Forman to call her. But Kitty had nothing concrete.

It was a cold day in the middle of January when Kitty was pottering around looking for laundry and other odds-and-ends to do around the house. Hyde had his books out around his stool by the TV and he sipped on a beer as he worked.

"Ohh, finals, huh?" Kitty made herself known and she sat on the couch with a pile of dirty white laundry, trying to peek over Hyde's work.

"Yeah. I got my English final first. Y'know, I don't get stupid poetry, all right? It's a waste of paper and time."

"Well, that may be. But back in the day, that was how you got your best-girl to stick by you. Speaking of, Steven... You're eighteen now, right?"

Hyde looked at Kitty, closing over his book and raising his eyebrow, "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm just- I'm curious! Is there any girl in your life you might be... I don't know, courting?" His acting-mother was smiling brightly and waiting patiently for his answer but he just shrugged.

"No. I mean, don't you normally focus on Eric and the neighbour-girl? Like, all the time?"

"Well, excuse me for showing some interest in my other baby's life. I have known you since you were five and never in my life have I seen you stick your nose so far in a book. Something is different." Kitty pointed out and set her laundry for the day aside, taking Hyde's notepad from him. She scanned over his work with an eagle-eye before closing it again. "Alright, first of all, it's only asking you for five-hundred words, Steven. You've got a whole two pages there on one answer. What is going on?"

Hyde took the notepad back and sat further forward in his chair, making Kitty lean in closer,  
"Alright, you have to keep it shut, okay? Not even Red can know. It's disgusting. Not very nice."

Kitty nodded savagely, trying to coax his words out faster. Hyde spoke slowly, nervously almost.

"Alright, now, with Jackie's mom and dad divorcing last year and her breaking up with Kelso, I might have been her shoulder to cry on, so to speak," Hyde began but Kitty was practically shaking with excitement, "So, as I helped her out, we might have, y'know, hooked up a few times-"

"Uh-huh, I know that. When Michael hit you, yep, got it. Move on."

"Right. Then they got back together. And I was fine. But, when we went away for New Years... We- Jackie and I, might have hooked up again. So, the reason my nose is in my book is because maybe, at some point, in the far, distance future, if we were to get together and be a thing, I'd want to be the best... Because that's what she looks for..." Hyde slowly regressed back into his seat and picked up his book to start his work again. First he divulged to Forman and now to Mrs Forman. He had surprised himself that he hadn't outright told Jackie already. "I don't know why I talk about this stuff. It never works for me. Mrs Forman, I need you to forget everything I just told you. I hate Jackie, she repulses me and isn't totally hot."

Mrs Forman nodded, rocking back and forth almost out of anticipation. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me." Kitty reassured him, gathering the laundry and bundling it into the washer before disappearing upstairs to grab the phone.

"Kitty..." Red said slowly from his chair in the living room. "Don't... Let them work it out for themselves."

"But, Red! It's young love!" Kitty argued quietly.


	11. The Class Photo

Chapter Eleven  
The Class Photo

Kitty followed her husband's instructions to let the kids get on with it and Jackie was left none-the-wiser about Hyde. But one night in March, Kitty was sitting up in the kitchen with a hot coffee and a cigarette in the glow of the porch light. She couldn't sleep from the hot flashes that crept up on her when she was comfortable. She left Red to sleep soundly in favour of some night-time reading. The magazine that had been left on the kitchen table had been read cover-to-cover and before long, it was morning. She had no idea where the time had went. Eric was up and showering for school. Kitty decided it best to get breakfast going.

Steven was eating cereal and flipping through the pages of the magazine. Eric bounced into the kitchen with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

"Well, just what has gotten into you?" Kitty asked, dishing up bacon and pancakes just like she does every morning.

"It's picture day, and I, am zit-free!" Eric was triumphant, "can you hurry up and eat faster? I want to get my picture taken before all hell could possibly break loose on my skin!"

"That is the frilliest thing you have ever said, Forman!" Hyde laughed and finished his bowl of cereal, placing it in the sink to grab some orange juice. "And we can't leave yet. Jackie's coming over."

Eric looked at his mother who was terribly confused,

"Why?"

"She needed help picking colour of hair ribbons for the cheerleaders group photo after lunch."

"And _you're_ helping her?"

" _No_ , man! Donna's helping her out! I told Donna last night that you would be okay waiting just a little while longer. Come on, man. We can be late. Home-room doesn't officially start until the Chem Club and the Language Club gets their group photo. We can be a half-hour, tops." Hyde dropped himself back into his seat across from Eric. Eric slowly started to eat to try and pass the time quicker. Red brought in the paper after collecting the mail, tossing it onto the table where Hyde snatched it up quickly. Red commented on his wife's appearance, how tired and drawn she looked. It was blamed on Red's tossing and turning that kept her awake all night.

Slowly, it came nearer to eight o'clock. Eric was anxious to get his photo taken so he ushered everybody into the car the second Jackie and Donna arrived. It was the ten-minute journey to school that made Hyde sit and think. Jackie gabbed away to Donna in the back seat, holding up ribbons from her purse. Just the sheer tone of her voice made Hyde shiver in the worst way. It reminded him of nails down a blackboard or silverware on a plate. It grated on him. Today in particular she just repulsed him and he had no idea why. Was he over her for good? He sat in the backseat and felt anger and disgust bubble up inside of him and, on one hand, he felt guilty. Jackie had done nothing wrong to him. She just turned up at the Forman's like she said she would. She discussed ribbons like she said she would.

"God, Hyde. Quit the smoulder, you're gonna set the ground on fire!" Donna scoffed, shoving his shoulder playfully as Eric turned in to the school parking lot. "What's the matter?"

Hyde ignored her.

"Hey, Jackie, you take Advanced History, right? You're in Bobbie Stowes class? The juniors?"

"Yeah, why?" Jackie climbed out of the car when it came to a stop and looked over the top of the car to Hyde. She was puzzled but slowly walked around the car to meet with Hyde,

"We have a picture together. I'm Advanced Senior Class."

"Oh, yeah! That's right!"

"Wait, how are you guys in the same photo? You're not even the same year." Eric was confused too and walked with Donna's hand in his to wait by the school gates for Fez and Kelso.

"Because my class is so small with only five of us being juniors and with Steven's class being so small with only seven, Mr Botemier wants the classes to merge and sit the final together and get the picture together. Why have it on different days and on different pages in the yearbook?" Jackie smiled and gently nudged Hyde who had a look of despair and disgust on his face.

"Wait, but that means that our we have overlapping classes all over school," Hyde noted, "You're the one junior taking College Prep."

"Steven, I have offered you my notes before! And my calculator, god!" Jackie laughed, fixing her hair as the wind picked up slightly. She fixed her coat as Hyde thought. He shuddered at the thought of having these pictures going down in history, marking a time in his life when he didn't want anything to do with Jackie. It would forever be ingrained into the school's history. Jackie waved at her cheer-squad across the parking lot, turning to Hyde, "Alright. History picture is at twelve-thirty. Before lunch. Okay? College Prep picture is after the Cheerleaders and Jocks in room 218, alright? I'll find you. Wait, no, be at the gym for two. We can go to College Prep together. You're the only senior I know in those classes." Jackie rushed off to greet her other friends just as Fez and Kelso arrived.

* * *

In the Psychology classroom, the group sat all together, waiting for their individual yearbook photos. The Freshmen had been way behind schedule and the photos were now being rushed to fit everybody in that day.

Jackie was near anxious as the clock came nearer to 11:45. If her name wasn't called in the next five minutes, she would have to reschedule for the next day and apparently, she wouldn't look as fresh-faced. Everybody shoved her off and let her comments slip by. Soon, her name was called after Hyde's and she made her way quickly past him as he came back into the classroom to gather his things. He had noticed that Jackie had forgotten her own bag with her cheer-outfit and decided to pick hers up too.

"You're carrying her things, Hyde?" Donna asked and Fez turned on the table where he sat to look at his friend with the leather bucket bag. Hyde shrugged his own backpack onto his shoulder and held the purse by its long strap.

"She forgot it. We all know how important this day is to her and if she doesn't look just 'perfect', then we are _all_ going to hear it. So, you can thank me later when she's happy with her pictures." Hyde reasoned, making Donna nod in understanding. Kelso understood too. "Alright, it's the History photo then lunch so we'll find you in the cafeteria?" Hyde asked, which everybody nodded to. He left, following Jackie's footsteps.

"Well, Jackie's got a shadow today. I mean, I get it. They have classes together. But, hey, who'd'a'thunk that _Hyde_ could take College Prep, huh?! I sure didn't!" Kelso wittered on to himself, kicking back in his chair, waiting for his name to be called. Donna shimmied closer to Eric on the desk they shared and muttered to him,

"I need to tell you something."

Eric looked at Donna with a raised brow and a look of interest. Fez, Kelso and two other students were shouted through for their photo.  
"What's the matter? Don't think yours is gonna turn out worse than Jackie's? Oh, honey, you blow her out the water. Don't worry!"

As Eric spoke, Hyde and Jackie walked past in the hallway outside, sharing a laugh together about something only they knew.

"No, it's not that. Look, Hyde's been weird around Jackie, right?"

"No?"

"Alright, he's been weird in general,"

"Oh, yeah, totally. Yeah, I get that vibe."

"Well, I know why. Well, I think I know," Donna leaned in a bit closer to speak quieter which intrigued Eric more and more. She went quiet for a few moments and Eric became antsy, urging her to purge her secret. "Alright, at New Year... Hyde and Jackie slept together. And ever since then, they've been odd. Well, Jackie's been Jackie but Hyde, man. He's not Hyde."

Eric was astounded. He couldn't talk. His face only warped into looks of anguish and disgust.  
"Jackie?!" He seethed and glared at Donna, "and _Hyde_?!"

"Would you keep it down?! I've been holding this in for too long! But I know, it was just a one-time thing! I'm almost certain! They would never."

"Did they have to, y'know, take a chemical shower afterwards or-?"

" _HEY, GUYS! FEZ SNEEZED DURING HIS PICTURE AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE IN THE YEARBOOK FOREVER, A-HA!_ " Kelso yelled through the hallways for everybody for miles around to hear it. Eric and Donna ignored the hilarity erupting from outside the classroom.

"Wait, Donna. I think I know what's up with him. That night, at the cabin, you made that casserole? Hyde was rambling on about how Jackie could date the Channel 5 Weather Guy and he'd be fine with it. We were talking about why he got so mad at Kelso not telling us that he and Jackie had broke up!"

"Oh, my god!" Donna whispered in realisation, "Hyde likes Jackie!"

"Alright, that might be true but we have to play it out, alright? We gotta watch him and wait until he gives it away . Be calm, Donna! Be. Calm."

* * *

Lunch passed. Eric and Donna were normal as Jackie discussed the individual proof photograph of the class photo she had taken with Hyde.

"Because I'm tiny, I was front and center, right where I belong! It was weird though, Steven. All those people in your class are dirty and poor like you. Was I in the poor class? Why am I just finding this out now? I demand a resit of that picture."

"Jackie, it's gonna be real hard for me to watch you and your cheer team without yelling insults if you keep calling me poor." Hyde remarked and ate his sandwich that Mrs Forman had made the night before.

"Ah, Steven! I knew you would sit in and watch with all the jocks! I knew it!"

"Oh, but, Hyde. You are not a jock." Fez leaned across the table to look at his buddy picking the crumbs off of his jeans. Hyde shrugged,

"So. I need to wait for Jackie anyway. Might as well wait in the gym."

"Oh, no, Steven! It's not in the gym anymore. Because Miss McLassman watched the news this morning, she said it's going to be sunny all afternoon so it'll be on the football field. You can sit on the bleachers with the jocks there."

Hyde rolled his eyes and nodded, grunting out a quiet 'fine' and finishing his sandwich.

* * *

Lunch was over quickly and Jackie and Hyde headed for the locker rooms. Jackie was the first one there so asked Hyde to hold her purse and her other clothes as she changed. In the silence, except Jackie's undressing and re-dressing, they stood together. Hyde folded her dress and tights as best as he could on the counter-top beside the sinks, trying not to get any part of them wet.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this. I could be doing hooligan things right now, like smoking or stealing Kelso's soda or something. Anything other than this. But no. I'm standing in the girls locker-room, folding a dress."

Hyde didn't understand why he was so angry with Jackie at the start of the day. He woke up feeling fine but it was seeing her face just for a second made him turn. He had confused himself with his feelings but swore to himself and Eric at New Year that Jackie was old news. Maybe he was just warming to her now. He had spent long enough with her. He could almost handle her attitudes.

Jackie finished tying her laces and got up from the bench, fixing her skirt before meeting Hyde at the sinks to tie her hair up with her chosen ribbon. Hyde was placing her dress into her purse, knowing that he would have to take it out and then fold her cheer uniform before the final picture of the day.

He looked thoughtful to Jackie, with his bottom lip slightly pouted as it was as he thought or watched TV.

"I know you're not my girl-friend, Steven. You didn't have to do this."

"You can't fold. Mrs Forman could teach you a thing or two. Sure as hell taught me" He chuckled but went back to pouting. Jackie fixed her hair and smoothed down her uniform, "Makes your legs looks nice. Doesn't make you look like a midget, neither." Commented Hyde, turning and gesturing down to her legs.

"Yeah... I don't think I'm gonna do this next year."

"What? Have great legs?"

"No. Cheer. It's downhill from the start of Senior Year. Bigger things to worry about."

"Jackie, you're starting to sound like me, okay? Are you sick?"  
This made her laugh but she turned and leaned against the counter-top. Hyde just groaned. "Please don't mope. I can't do that. I can't help you. Donna, maybe. She could help. Hug you. Do something girly? I don't know." He pleaded and stood in front of her, "Just don't pout. Too pretty to pout. It gives you wrinkles."  
Jackie shoved him away with a laugh, holding out her hand for her purse which Hyde graciously gave her.

They walked out of the locker room together to sit on the bleachers and talk for a little while. They mainly just pointed out the football team and the rumors they had heard about them. But something ate at Jackie.

"You think I have great legs?"

Hyde was slightly baffled, but he leaned back and nodded, glinting at the sun coming through the passing clouds,  
" I thought I should tell you. I think every part if you is great but apparently, I can't say that anymore because we're trying that whole, 'back-to-what-we-were-before-we-slept-together' thing again." Hyde chuckled and Jackie leaned forward, thinking to herself. She had to stop herself from turning around and giving Hyde to go-ahead to ask her out. But he didn't want that. She knew that. It was a fling. Purely a fling.

They sat quietly for a little while, watching more cheerleaders come onto the field with the jocks taking their place by the track.

"I have a date tonight. With Brett the Jock." Jackie said pensively, her heart breaking as the words left her body.

"Pfft. Since when?" scoffed Hyde, nudging her thigh slightly with his boot.

"This morning. When I met up with the girls and some of the guys. He's nice."

Jackie had no idea why she was suddenly distancing herself from Hyde at the first compliment he paid her. There was no harm in him being nice but she couldn't handle it. Maybe she was over him and was ready to move on. Maybe his kindness was unwelcome and discomforting. Jackie had no clue.  
Hyde said nothing for the remainder of their sit together. He had nothing to say. No wit. No spice. Were they finally done with the messing around? There was no to-and-fro anymore. There wasn't any amorous stares or smiles. What was going on?


	12. The Split

Chapter Twelve  
The Split

The night was quiet. Donna had confirmed during a conversation with Eric that Jackie was indeed with the creepy quarterback. Hyde wasn't sure how to feel. He was happy she was moving on from Kelso with someone who wasn't exactly a knuckle-head but on the other, he was super freakin' pissed. He didn't know why, but he was. And everybody knew it. The basement was filled with the buzz of television as Eric, Fez and Kelso challenged each other to a game of Monopoly. Nobody was keeping score and Fez just liked going 'round the board. Donna had her magazines and would stop every so often to get on with some homework. Hyde drank a beer and watched the TV blindly. All he could think was; what was Jackie doing? Was she having fun? Where did he take her? Did she get to know him?

Kitty's shrill voice broke Hyde's concentration with the call for supper. She brought down a tray of grilled cheese sandwiches, enough for each person, Red followed behind with a canteen of hot cocoa for them. By the look on his face, he was unhappy to be feeding the other 'strays' as he now called them.

Kitty done a head count to match up with her sandwiches but she paused,  
"Where's the small one?"

"On a date." They all said in unison, making everybody eye each other slightly. Kitty was overcome with a slight attitude and as her and her husband started to head back upstairs, she grabbed Hyde's t-shirt, making him toss his grilled cheese back onto the tray. She took him upstairs as everybody stayed in the basement and had fun with their food and games. Red was almost roped into giving Hyde a talking to but he raised his hands in surrender and left Kitty for the living room. He wanted nothing to do with it.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Hey, whatever was in my backpack, Kelso planted it there. I swear." Hyde argued, trying to get off scot-free. Kitty bypassed the comment.

"Steven, why are you sitting down there when you could be out getting Jackie?! After everything you told me!" She now cursed in a quieter tone as she heard the sound of Donna coming up the basement stairs.

"Because. I'm not going to stop her living her life! I don't have that right, Mrs F. And neither do you. So, can we just forget about it for now and let Jackie recognise that she's having a terrible time and has to come back here and be consoled by me? Great. Always good talking to you!" Hyde turned from Kitty who was trying to process everything he had just said to her. Donna squeezed past Hyde on the stairs to grab a cold drink for herself. Kitty had her hands on her hips, looking deep in thought with a sad face.

"Is everything okay?"

"No. Kids, nowadays, they just don't talk it out like they used to!" Mrs Forman cursed, throwing her arms up into the air and making her way for the living room.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Burkhart house, Jackie was sitting to a quaint dinner with her father and his new lady. It was a meal of steak and all the fixings that Jack had the chef cook up in a flash. Jackie pushed her vegetables around her plate, picking at her napkin in her lap with her free hand. She sniffed away her heavy heart and smiled at her father before taking her plate of food through and placing it into the oven to reheat later. Jackie made her way upstairs to her room and sat on her bed, holding a pillow to herself. She felt terrible, and had done since she turned down Brett that afternoon after discussing it with Hyde. She felt bad for him for missing out on an opportunity with her, but also for Hyde who had no idea she had declined. All Jackie wanted to do was lie on her bed and feel sorry for herself about Hyde. She had went the whole day, leading Hyde away from her when that's not what she wanted at all. But in the bigger picture, it would benefit everybody in the group if she tried to rid herself of Hyde. How she had caught these feelings for him, she had no idea. But they were there, and they were strong. Jackie thought gaining herself a job would busy her enough to forget about him, but that had failed. And by the way things had went that day, dating other people just wasn't an option.

What she would normally do if she was in a dilemma was to shove on a Donny Osmond album and call her mom but with her out of the country, the closest person she had was Mrs Forman. Jackie wrestled with the thought of calling Hyde but ultimately decided to call his acting-mother.

The line rang out for a short while before it was Hyde that picked up. He cleared his throat,

"Hello?" He said down the line, waiting for her response.

Jackie's chest heaved quickly and for a second, she had forgotten how to talk. Hyde called down the line again,

"Hi, Steven. It's uh, Jackie. Is, uh, Mrs Forman there?"

" _Uh, sure. I'll get her... Two seconds_." Hyde said quietly and the sound of the phone being muffled could be heard by Jackie. The muffled yell of Hyde was heard too. Jackie started to chew on her perfectly manicured nail and she almost felt a bit sick when Hyde spoke again, " _So, uh, she's comin'. How was the... y'know, the date with that Brock_ -"

"Brett." Jackie corrected, "I didn't go," confessed Jackie, "I stayed home with my dad instead. We had dinner. It was his idea."

Hyde had gone silent and the fumble of the phone being handed over echoed through to Jackie.

* * *

Mrs Forman had the phone on her lap and she gabbed away to Jackie as Hyde now watched TV with a smile. He couldn't seem to sit still. Every tune on TV made him tap his feet and sway slightly. Donna furrowed her brow at him and looked at Eric, whispering,

"I guess the date went bad, then."

Kitty said goodbye to Jackie and hung up the phone. She rocked slightly on the arm of the couch, the phone still on her lap. Kitty stretched her small leg out to tap Hyde's leg and then she snorted and stiffled a laugh to her best efforts. Everything was resolving itself.


	13. The Vow

Chapter Thirteen  
The Vow

Everything had went back to what it was. Kitty had reported back to Jackie about Hyde's sudden mood change upon hearing of the date that had fallen through. That was enough to give Jackie a bit of hope, however, she wasn't prepared to go full-out with the excitement for her and Hyde to become an item. The group had sat their final examinations and it was coming close to the end of the year.

One Friday afternoon, Jackie, Hyde and Eric sat in the basement, talking about school ending for everybody except Jackie. Fez was working now at the DMV as Kelso was out chasing dogs in the street. Donna burst through the basement door with her backpack on after finishing her final exam. But she looked like there was something playing on her mind. Eric asked what was wrong.

"My guidance counsellor wants me to come up with a fundraiser to raise money for new bleachers in the gym. As we were sitting the last exam of 1978, Mrs Sanders fell right through the middle on one of them and broke her leg. Because I was the best student in that room, it's down to me to raise the money."

The group looked amongst themselves, raising eyebrows and nodding slightly.

"I got nothin'." Hyde immediately took himself away from the situation to watch The Newlywed Game on TV. Donna scoffed and Jackie pushed his legs off of the table.

"We have to try and help. If we don't someone else could fall and hurt themselves."

"Hopefully, it's , be you." Eric prayed to God which made Hyde laugh and re-join the group,

"Guys, this is serious! If I don't have any ideas by Monday, he's not going to give me a good Student Body reference!"

They all thought and thought and thought for a long while. As everybody had zoned out, Jackie took herself from the situation to watch TV herself, letting Hyde think for once.

"What would people pay to see?" Eric muttered quietly,

"What's a good way to make money?"

"Oh, come on, FRANCESCA! EVERYBODY KNEW HE SAID HIS FAVOURITE FOOD WAS OLIVE PIZZA, DAMN!" Jackie yelled from nowhere, taking her outburst at the TV. Eric looked up with a bright light of imagination.

"A sponsored silence."

This grabbed Donna's attention, and then Hyde's. They both nodded and invited Eric to explain more,

"More to the point, _Jackie Burkhart_ doing a sponsored silence."

Jackie's ears pricked up at her name and she leaned back from the TV to look at her friends. Her lips were pouted. She was confused.

"What?" She asked but Hyde was nodding at Eric with a wild smile. Eric took a moment of praise for himself as Donna thought out the finer details. Jackie now understood why paying attention was important. She had no idea what she had been roped into but it made Hyde smile, and even Eric. "What am I doing?" She asked. Hyde now laughed and reached over to grab a popsicle from the freezer.

"A sponsored silence to fund new bleachers. For one week, every person in school will be paying through the nose to see you can-it. God, it'll be mayhem!" Donna shrieked and grabbed paper to start making notes, "Okay, Jackie... One week... Donate a dollar... thousand or so students... God, Jackie, if every student donates, and if even half the faculty donate, we'd have raised over $2,000. We need to do it! Come on!"

"But... I talk. I'm a talker. It's what I do." Jackie looked for a glimpse of safety in within her friends but none were prepared to defend her. It was three against one.

"We know." Hyde said plainly.

Jackie scowled and toyed around with her necklace, pouting and pitying herself before eventually growling out a 'fine' to the pleasure of her friends.

* * *

The plans had been laid out the following week for Jackie's sponsored silence. It was the Monday after the longest weekend. Jackie talked non-stop, knowing that at midnight, she couldn't talk at all for a full week.

In school that day during lunch, Donna had set a table up at the row of lockers by the cafeteria. Jackie sat with a glum, grey face and a whiteboard hanging around her neck. the only thing keeping her going was the fundraising. The money would be useful to fix the bleachers. That was where she sat her water bottle during cheer-rehearsals. That was where she sat herself when she tied her laces. Donna sat beside her friend with a bucket half full with coins and notes. They would be there every day, all week, every lunch time. Luckily, it was Kelso who brought food to them both. Two sandwiches and a bag of chips for them to share. The only humor Jackie had found in the whole thing was that Hyde was the first toss in $10 at the beginning of lunch.

Each day, Jackie's partner changed. Tuesday, Fez sat where Donna did, and then Wednesday, Hyde took Fez' place. He kicked back with one leg crossed over another. Jackie scribbled on her whiteboard in red marker.

' _I hate doing this_ ' she had scrawled on the board. Hyde nodded, crossing his arms. Jackie scribbled more. ' _I'm serious. People hate me'_.

"Of course they do. You're popular. What did you expect?" He chuckled. Jackie truly seemed upset so Hyde turned to her, "Why do they hate you?"

Jackie rubbed out her previous words and wrote again.

' _They called me ugly!_'

Then she rubbed it out again as Hyde had recieved the message. She sat the whiteboard down onto the donation table, kicking back just like he had done.

"Tell Donna you're not doing it anymore! You've raised enough. If it's making you feel crappy then stop."

Jackie then gave him a look and picked up her board to write again.

' _Only made $300 so far_."

"Fine. Then I'll do it with you. Raise more."

' _Steven, no. You're not fundraising_.'

Hyde was silent and shrugged. For the remainder of lunch, they were silent, fundraising together, all to make Jackie feel better.

* * *

The week was hard for Hyde to keep up, but by Saturday, everybody knew he had joined Jackie. They didn't know why. The Forman household was terribly quiet with two of the normal squabblers on a vow. Hyde had gotten himself a notepad and pen to match whatever Jackie said. More often than not, if she commented on something at the TV, he would hold up a 'Shut Up' sign. He raised his sign every time she wrote something back. He never said anything else. 'Shut Up' sufficed for everything. Hyde was in his cot on the Saturday night, ready to turn in after a long day of sitting around and doing nothing. He had an arm behind his head and he puffed away on a roach he had in his top drawer. Hyde took the silence as a time to reflect. He was doing this all for Jackie, to help her out and make her feel better. She did look sad about not talking but was easily loosened up when Hyde was quiet too. Kelso had tried to join but he couldn't last after Eric gave him a Purple Nurple which made him yell louder than he ever had before. Hyde smiled to himself. Maybe there was a chance of him and Jackie. Maybe.

There was a knock on his room door which made him jump until he realised Kitty and Red were fast asleep upstairs. He threw his notepad at the door for a sign of entry. It was Jackie. And she had something in her hand. She made her way to the chair opposite the bed and gave Hyde the brown paper bag before holding up her sign which read,

'Thanks for helping me.  
So I got you a baggie as a way of payment.'

Hyde laughed, putting the roach between his lips and peeking into the brown bag. She knew him to a 'T'. He nodded and sat the bag on top of his drawers, inviting her over to take her whiteboard. He wiped the words clean and just drew a smiley face. Jackie sat now on the edge of the cot with her back to him as he lay on his side. She took the marker from him and wrote quickly on the board.

'I've missed you.'

Hyde raised an eyebrow but Jackie shoved him gently. They fought over the pen slightly before Hyde won it from her. She traded him the pen for a smoke. Hyde wiped harshly at the board and the pen squeaked loudly on the surface.

'Stay the night. Bunk here.'

Jackie turned to him and looked at him as though to say 'It's okay? Really?'  
Hyde nodded and set the board down to make room for Jackie on his small cot.


	14. The Soda Can

Chapter Fourteen  
The Soda Can

They spent all of Saturday together in Hyde's cot, wrapped in all of the spare blankets, napping and drawing things on the whiteboard. Through the entirety of the day and night they spent together, not one of them spoke a word, keeping true to the school's fundraiser. It came to Sunday evening when they emerged from the small back room. Luckily, it was quiet in the basement when Jackie left to shower upstairs. Hyde stretched and grabbed a drink from the refrigerator after seeing her off with a tight hug and kiss to the forehead. He cracked open a can of Cream Soda just as Mrs Forman came through the back door with her groceries.

"Well, Steven! I didn't see you all of yesterday! Where were you?"

Hyde cleared his throat, giving up the silence he had taken for Jackie.

"I was out. At a rally. In Kenosha."

"Eric had been looking all over for you." Kitty said suspiciously when she set down the groceries onto the counter. Hyde just shrugged.

"Sorry. It was very last minute."

Kitty agreed and handed him some loose groceries to put into the fridge. Eric and Donna made their way into the kitchen with Red coming through the living room door.

"Kitty, there is a loose child in Laurie's shower. Do we have to start wrangling them up like animals?"

"Oh, that's just Jackie. Her bathroom's getting redecorated." Hyde lied and dished away the remainder of the groceries. Red just threw his hands up into the air and went back into the living room, "I said she could. I hope that's okay?" Hyde turned to Kitty and played on his soft, sad voice to win her over. Kitty hesitated, looking back at Donna and Eric at the table before agreeing,

"Well, she can't go around stinking out the town. It's fine. That's fine." She smiled.

"So, Hyde. Where have you been? You've missed the whole weekend! You missed Fez getting his hand stuck to Kelso's chest-hair and Kelso being stuck to the coffee table!" Eric cackled, remembering the events that happened the day before. Hyde didn't seem bothered but he let Eric believe he was truly saddened.

"I was at a rally in Kenosha last night. I just got back, actually."

"What was the rally called?" Donna asked quickly, looking Hyde in the eye and catching him off guard. His eyes became shifty and he had to think on the spot which he was never good at under all this pressure.

"It was the... Y'know... The Motor Show Rally 1978."

"Oh, cool, cool. Do you have the brochure?" Donna pressed and Kitty looked at Hyde with a raised brow. He shook his head and the lies came out one after the other. How he had lost his ticket and brochure and got sent home early because of the weather. Kitty bought it and poured herself some tea but Donna and Eric eye their friend. "Hyde, can we talk to you in the basement please?"

Hyde took his place in his chair by the freezer and dryer with the TV on. Eric and Donna sat like concerned parents in front of him in the coffee table.

"Hyde. Where were you? Man, your door was locked and your car was parked in the street the whole weekend."

As Hyde scoffed and ignored Eric's questioning, Kitty screamed downstairs for them all to help upstairs. Hyde was the first to run upstairs, taking them two at a time. There had been a tumble and crash from the bathroom in Laurie's room and it was Jackie that had screamed out for help. Red was there and had managed to jimmy the lock but would go no further. Hyde stood by the door but Kitty went in with some of Laurie's clothes to dress Jackie and protect her modesty. She was wailing and crying in pain and her friends had no idea what to do. Red ran down to the Cruiser and started it up, bringing it as close to the house as possible. Kitty tried to sit Jackie up but she was too heavy for only Kitty. Eric moved cautiously into the bathroom, shutting off the shower first before taking one side of her.

"Move, Forman, you can barely lift a soda." Hyde was aggravated, making Eric stand back so that he could pick up a crying Jackie from the cold tile floor. He picked her up as gently as he could and Kitty and Donna put together a bag for Jackie to take to hospital with her. She wept like a dying animal as Hyde carried her downstairs. Jackie's leg started to swell and warp into shades of yellow and green.

"Donna, call her dad. Tell him to meet us at the hospital."

"Yeah, Eric, call Fez and Kelso. They'll be at Fez' for UNO night." Hyde said back to his friend at the top of the stairs who had turned white in shock. Donna and Eric hung back to call everybody they needed to as Hyde instructed Mrs Forman to grab his over-sized cardigan from the coat-rack. "I think she's goin' into shock. She isn't crying."

Mrs Forman nodded, tossing the cardigan over her arm whilst Hyde tried to slide Jackie into the back of the Vista Cruiser.

* * *

It was well into the hours of Monday morning when Jackie was fully able to rest up without having to be pushed off for X-Rays or other different scans that nobody knew the name of. Jack hadn't answered any of the several phonecalls the family had sent out and so, Kitty consciously took Jackie into her own family.

As it had turned out, she had dislocated her ankle badly. The family had went hours without seeing her. She had been doped up and was sleeping off the shock.

"Can we see her?" Kelso asked one of her doctors who agreed, but only two at a time. It was decided that Kitty and Red would go first and leave her overnight bag with her, should she need anything through the night. They spent a short while with her and as they left the hospital for the night, they reported back that she was waking up from the painkillers. Eric was still recovering from his own shock, so Donna and Hyde went in next. Hyde and Fez agreed that they would stay the night.

Donna went in to the small side-room first. Hyde was close behind. His cardigan was hanging on the coat-stand by the door.  
"God, Jackie. You're really boxed in there, huh?" Donna chuckled lightly, gesturing to the cast on Jackie's foot. Jackie lolled her head on the pillow, her eyes barely open. She was back to sleep in almost an instant. "Hey, at least she's still silent!" Donna smirked making Hyde smile. He took the seat beside the bed as Donna took the other one.

"Man, I can't believe she only screwed her ankle. Could've been worse if she hit her head, y'know?"Hyde thought aloud.

"Someone's gonna have to bring her stuff. All the time." They sat in silence for a little while in the dim glow of the bedside lamp, Hyde almost dropping off to sleep himself but Donna was in his ear. "What's going on, Hyde?"

"Nothing. I'm here for Jackie."

"Cut the crap," smiled Donna warmly at him, "Eric told me what you told him on New Years Eve."

"When did he tell you that crap?" Hyde asked, not looking away from Jackie's bedside once.

"Picture day. We thought we'd wait and try and see if you still felt something before jumping to conclusions." Donna defended, turning her chair slightly towards Hyde,

"So?"

"So, when we seen the way you covered for her earlier taking a shower, and then basically taking the stairs five at a time to get to her, we didn't have to wait. You gave it away."

"Yeah, 'cause I was going to leave Mrs Forman screaming herself to death in the living room." Hyde had a touch of venom in his voice but Donna understood.

"Hyde, you didn't sprint up to the bathroom for _Mrs Forman_. Now, be honest, was Jackie with you this weekend?"


	15. The Agent in Summer

Chapter Fifteen  
The Agent in Summer

TV buzz echoed in the quiet basement. Hyde and Eric had abandoned their hide-away for lunch. Jackie was on her way over with Donna. Apparently there was big news that Jackie had.

"Maybe she and Kelso figured out how to pick up a book. Never know." Eric shrugged whilst eating his lunch but Kitty just shoved his shoulder lightly,

"Eric, she hasn't been on bedrest. She got off bedrest weeks ago. Next week, the doctor is finally taking her cast off. Oh, she's going to be so relieved!" Kitty sat between Hyde and Eric at the table in her usual seat and sipped on some tea she had left brewing. The backdoor slip open and in hopped Jackie and Donna. Jackie clutched onto her handbag more than she did with her crutches. Donna took her crutches and sat them down on the floor as Jackie rifled through her bag for her important news.

"Okay. So, this morning, I was picking out my new nail colour with Julietta when my other maid brings me the mail. So... apparently at the seniors' closing pep rally, there were talent scouts," Jackie smiled, readily unfolding the letter from her bag, "and I got drafted for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders! They want me to go and train with them at the end of the month in time for football season!"

"But, Jackie... You'll miss your senior year." Mrs Forman said solemnly.

"Shame you can't with your cracked-up ankle." Eric quietly commented.

"I get my cast off next week! I don't care about my ankle any more! I'm gonna be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader!" Jackie squealed and tightly hugged Donna who stood by her side. Donna was quiet and so was Hyde.

"Jackie, I thought you were over that. I thought you wanted to be the Channel One News Anchor?" chuckled Donna but Jackie just scoffed,

"Yeah, so I put it on the back-burner. But screw Channel One! I'm gonna be a Cheerleader!"

Hyde thought about piping up but repeatedly fought against it. He didn't want to be the bad guy here. He wanted to be supportive. "Jackie, maybe you should call them and tell them that you were really badly injured and you're recovering. Just so they know not to push too hard when you're training."

Everybody looked down to Hyde and Jackie placed her letter down onto the table.

"And that is why Steven gets a season ticket to see me cheer in the fall!" Jackie slammed the rest of their negative comments and praised Hyde for his forward thinking.

* * *

It was that evening, Mr and Mrs Forman sat in the kitchen and thought over Jackie's news.

"Red, we can't just let her leave like that. She has to go through her senior year. We can't let her abandon that!"

"Kitty, if the kid wants to go and do this, she should. It not an offer to be sniffed at, y'know. Hell, she could be on TV in the fall."

Kitty groaned and moved to sit beside her husband to convince him to sit with her and talk to Jackie. Red wouldn't have it. He stood by Jackie's choice to go and live the dream she had let everyone know about for the past ten years. Red was stubborn with his choice but Kitty couldn't agree with him.

"Red, it's Texas. Jackie can't even cross the street herself. How will she survive surrounded by people from... y'know, _the south_?" Kitty whispered and patted her husband's hand. Red just rolled his eyes and ignored Kitty's comment which then prompted her to go and make dinner whilst giving her husband the silent treatment.

* * *

"Okay, Steven, call this number and tell them what you told me!" Jackie pushed, giving Hyde the letter and then the phone-set. Hyde had none of it. He took the letter and made it into a paper airplane before putting the phone back on the end-table.

"Jackie, I am not pretending to be your agent! No. You call them and you tell them."

"Ohh, but it was your idea, Steven. Please!" Jackie begged but he ignored it. Instead, he continued to try and watch the end of the gameshow on TV. The door of the basement swung open and Kelso stormed in after hearing the news of Jackie's leaving from Mr and Mrs Forman upstairs.

"Where is she?! Where is the new Dallas Cowboy Cheer Squad Member?!" Kelso yelled making Donna and Hyde scoff,

"She's right here!" Jackie chimed, standing up to recieve a hug from Kelso. He picked her up and held her tightly, shaking her side to side as Fez joined them with a bag full of candy.

"Jackie, I brought you my candy to congratulate you. I admit I ate some on the way over here because I was just so excited!" Fez grinned and when Jackie was placed back on the ground, he handed her the candy which made her pout with glee.

"Thank you, Fez. At least you guys are being supportive. Steven won't even pretend to be my agent just for one phone call!"

"Jackie, call 'em yourself! You're the cheerleader. Not me."

"But, Steven. I'd seem more professional if I had an agent, even if it's just a quick pass-over call. You lay down the law then put them on to me so I can confirm. That's all I ask!" Jackie slumped down onto the couch to pout at Hyde and eventually, he did cave and gestured for Eric to pass him the paper airplane.

The group all huddled 'round to see Hyde do what Jackie wanted and they chuckled quietly amongst themselves as Hyde waited to be put through. He sighed in disinterest and kicked back in his chair. The group leaned forward.

"Hi, I'm calling on behalf of Miss Jackie-"

"Jacqueline!" Jackie hissed quietly, making Hyde correct himself.

" _Jacqueline_ Burkhart. I'm her talent agent, Mr Steven Hyde. It's actually about her drafting letter she got through to be a member of the team. Miss Burkhart actually injured herself back in June and is just recovering. We felt it best to let you know before she started to train with you guys."

Jackie was on the edge of her seat with Kelso at her side and Fez crouched on the floor, excited to listen in. Donna and Eric watched Pyramid instead. Hyde nodded, looking over Fez' shoulder to catch a glimpse of the game-show. The phone was handed over to Jackie to iron out final details.

The group formed a circle as Jackie gabbed on long into the game-show on TV. The group were pretty toasted when she hung up the phone. She wiggled her way in to sit beside Fez. In all honesty, Jackie's tummy fumbled and gurgled. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement or sadness. It was deep in the pit of her that something wasn't right. But Jackie looked past it all and focused on the new turn in her life.

 _The group spoke between themselves with the buzz of Pyramid in the background. Jackie talked about the costume she'd have to wear, Fez talked about tuning in to watch the highlights. Kelso agreed. The highlights were the best parts. Jackie then swooped in to talk about giving herself a model makeover before she leaves._

 _"I still have to tell my dad. He's not gonna take it well."_

 _"Jackie, you told him this morning... He wished you luck." Donna chuckled and Jackie's face fell._

 _"Oh, yeah."_

 _"He's paying for your ticket out there. What a guy!" Donna said dryly, realising the sadness of the situation._


	16. The Other Side

Chapter Sixteen  
The Other Side

Jackie found herself a lot quieter in the weeks leading up to her flight at the end of the month. She didn't think on why. Her mind was preoccupied with what she was going to do when she got there. What apartments to look at and malls nearby the stadium. She had been squirreling money away into an account for her travels but with her out of work, it came to a steady stop. She asked Fez and Hyde to take her to the Cheese Palace at the mall to hand in her resignation and they agreed. Hyde needed to shop for new boots and a backpack. He hadn't told anybody that he was moving out to Iowa to start college for business production and other boring stuff he, himself didn't quite understand. Donna was ready to move out with Eric to Madison for college. They had found a place near the center and were packing up as Jackie was quitting her job.

She hobbled on her cast-less foot, helped along by Fez. Hyde was just in time for the small store owner confess his love to Jackie in front of a store full of shoppers. Jackie just listened and agreed with every word he said. She understood why he loved her and done everything for her. Lots of people Jackie knew done it too. She rolled her eyes, ready to leave but was halted by the small man grabbing her and giving her a surprising frenching. Hyde and Fez looked away, trying to ignore what was happening.

"Alright, alright, alright, c'mon Jackie. We all got places to be, alright?" Hyde didn't look as he tugged her away from the cheese-guy to take her home.

"Steven, he was doing nothing wrong."

"Yeah, Steven!" Fez joined, crossing his arms,

"Jackie, you shouldn't spend your last weeks in Wisconsin kissing people that own cheese stores, a'right?"

Jackie stopped walking with Fez,

"Fine. Should I spend them kissing _burners_ and _waste-outs_ in basements instead?!"

* * *

After being taken home, Jackie sat in her bedroom surrounded by boxes that she was moving to Dallas with her. Since she had said it, she felt guilty. Jackie had hurt someone, really badly. And she recognized that. Fez buzzed around her room, filling the silence with cluttering and boxes scraping together. He was there when Jackie spat her venom and just sat between them in silence the entire ride home. He didn't want to get involved but Donna was coming over to help pack up some of Jackie's things and he had to let her know. When the doorbell rang, Jackie barley moved, She just folded clothes. Fez ran downstairs to greet Donna t the door and fill he rin with what had happened. Donna was welcomed in a frantic manner but she just laughed,

"It's okay, Fez. I know what happened. Hyde's back at the Forman's bitching to Mrs Forman about it."

Fez breathed a sigh of relief and escorted Donna upstairs after grabbing a few sodas from the kitchen. Jackie's dad wasn't in again. Fez closed Jackie's bedroom door over whilst Donna sat down beside JAckie on her bed and handed her a soda, "Hey, champ. You doin' okay?" She asked and nudged Jackie gently but nothing, "You really beat him down. You broke a man." Donna said chirpily but Jackie had none of it.

"I screwed up. Why did I have to say it? Couldn't I have just thought it instead?"

"No, you said it." Fez said sheepishly from Jackie's closet, "And he looked mad."

"Of course he looked mad. I didn't mean it. It just slipped out." Jackie leaned on her fist after tossing some of the folded clothes aside.

* * *

"And who drove her to her doctor's appointments?! I did!" Hyde yelled, pacing back and forth in the Forman's kitchen, "Who carried her upstairs when she needed the bathroom, o-or, who drove her home at night?!"

"Well, sometimes Eric did or she walked with the foreign kid." Red said blandly from the dining table. He was minding his own business, shining up some parts that he had found in the garage when Hyde had stormed in full of rage. Mrs Forman listened to everything.

"I drove her everywhere. I took her places! I helped her walk! I stayed with her in the hospital and she calls me a _burn-out_!? It's not right! This is what I get for being nice and caring! This is why I am always pissed, 'cause if you're pissed, you don't get hurt, god damn it!" Hyde screamed and continued to pace, breathing and huffing heavily. Mrs Forman nodded and invited Hyde to sit with her and her husband. "I didn't pull her away because I was jealous or I didn't want him touching her. I saw she wasn't happy."

"Steven, you're a good kid. But don't waste your breath on her. She's rich and snobby. That's what they do." Red informed but Kitty was sharp to jump into the conversation.

"No, no. Jackie is a lovely girl. She's not as bad as she used to be. But, Steven, did you maybe think that Jackie snapped at you because she's sad about leaving? Because she's not really going to have these shenanigans in Texas? I don't think she wanted to call you a _burn-out._ "

"She did it anyway." Hyde remarked with a frown.

"Oh, I'm sure she would have cursed at anybody at that point. Jackie just quit her job, got a new job a thousand miles away, she's leaving her friends and her father. The past few weeks has been a bit of a whirlwind for her." Kitty defended. Hyde relaxed a bit more and thought more rationally about Jackie's outburst at the mall.

"Look, if it's still botherin' you next week, maybe you gotta talk to her before she leaves. If it sounds like she meant it, she probably didn't. Women are strange, son. It's all backwards." Red gave his final word of advice and gathered his things to take back to garage. Hyde swallowed, thinking hard about the way Jackie spoke to him. did she want to kiss in in the basement or had she always hated that? Hyde was at a loss but decided to sleep on it. He wasn't letting a petty argument with Jackie ruin his summer.


	17. The Bridge

Chapter Seventeen  
The Bridge

The group spent most of their days together for the remainder of the summer. Hyde and Jackie didn't talk. They brushed everything under the carpet and often ignored each other. Donna and Eric had found a place in Madison for school starting in the fall and were leaving just a week after Jackie did. Nobody knew about Hyde's college plan either. He left the same day as Donna and Eric.

It was a few hours before Jackie's flight all the way down to Dallas. Mrs Forman had organised a small get-together with close friends that evening. Jackie's dad was invited but he didn't even RSVP. Hyde had heard Jackie sobbing about it in the bathroom over the roar of the shower as she was getting ready. He didn't say anything. He didn't think it right to comfort her. Mrs Forman knew it was going to be an emotional night for everybody. She had taken Jackie in much like a daughter and the whole family had grown attached to Jackie. But Red was furious. As everybody was getting ready and doing their hair and such things, Red was throwing a fit in the den with his wife as she set up nibbles on the small side table.

"Who the hell does Jack think he is? His baby girl is going miles and miles away and he can't even call us back?!"

"What did you really expect, Red? Jack won't drop a night in a five-star hotel with some TV babe for his daughter. Unless his daughter marries into wealth and has a grandchild, Jack won't care. And as for her floozy of a mother, she's been AWOL since the divorce." Kitty wiped her hands together on her apron before scurrying back through to the kitchen to pull out beers from the fridge. Red followed her.

"But, Kitty. He is her father. If Laurie had told us she was going away for so long, I would be heart broken."

"But she didn't. She just left." Kitty remarked.

"Exactly. I don't feel a thing. I know she'll look after herself out there!" Red shrugged.

"Maybe Jack thinks the same about Jackie. You never know, Red."

"But, Kitty. This is _Dallas_. Not some community college fifty miles away. This is _cross-country_."

* * *

It was ten o'clock when Kelso felt it right to make a 'speech' about Jackie. The polite chatter and conversation of the make-shift family came to a halt when Kelso stood on the coffee table. Red rolled his eyes and took a breath to calm himself.

"Alright. Jackie. The hottest girl in this group. She's gonna be a D.C.C. For you old-folks, that means; DALLAS COWBOY CHEERLEADER!" Kelso whooped in excitement. "You're gonna be on TV every Saturday in front of thousands of millions of sports fans, and I am gonna be one of them, babe! Me and Fez! Every Saturday! We'll be watchin'!" He cheered again and jumped down from the table to give her a hug in Red's chair. Kitty thought it best to intervene before anybody else jumped onto the coffee table. She handed Jackie a small wrapped present and then handed Donna and Eric a small gift too. They were both the same thing. A picture frame with the whole family in it.

"For your new homes."

"Thank you, Mrs Forman. I appreciate it!" Jackie said quietly and immediately got up to give Kitty a tight hug.

"Thanks, mom. We love it." Eric commented, giving his mother a hug the second Jackie let go of her. Jackie sat back down and looked at her dress-watch. It was ten-fifteen. Only three hours until her flight. Jackie excused herself for a few seconds to sit at the back door and think about the road ahead of her. It wasn't until she had a minute alone that she really thought. What if she never came back? If she just forgot Wisconsin. How would she live with herself? And what would she say to Hyde? He was the one she had avoided this whole time. He was her confidant for everything. And she was scared. All this fear of Texas had been built up inside of her since the very beginning. Jackie kicked herself. Time was running away from her quicker than she could imagine. In only a few hours, all her friends would be waving her off to the walkway of the plane. They would all be there. The more Jackie thought, the sicker she felt. She didn't want to go. No way was she leaving now.

A little time later, Hyde went to talk to Jackie.  
"Jackie?" Hyde asked quietly from the kitchen, noticing the patio door wide open. "Jackie?" Hyde groaned and unlocked the Camino, driving out to find Jackie. There was only so many places she could be. The mall was closed so she wasn't there. The Hub was closed. Where else did the group hang out? The Forman's, but she wasn't there. Which left the water tower.

"Jackie, what are you doing? Come on. We gotta leave in an hour. Get down."

"No." She said sadly with her feet hanging over the edge. She had been crying and was just looking out to the town. Hyde didn't want to, but he started to climb and sit with her.

"Seriously, screw you man. I didn't wear my boots tonight."Hyde sat himself down next to her, trying to perk her up but she was silent. "Jackie, come on. I'm not going to fight with you. I just wanted to make sure we were cool before you went and started shaking your ass for a football team." He laughed but still nothing from Jackie. He nodded and sat in silence with her. She sniffled and stopped leaning on the railings.

"I'm terrified. Hyde, I am so scared to go." Jackie confessed, not looking at him but wiping her eyes instead. Hyde sighed, putting his arm around her and turning her head to face him.

"Are you freakin' crazy? Those other girls should be scared. You're Jackie Burkhart for God's sake!" Hyde laughed and Jackie nodded,

"I suppose..." She quietened down, laughing quietly until she squealed out a few tears, "But my dad didn't even turn up tonight!"She wept and fully turned into Hyde. He nodded, swallowing the guilt of hearing her earlier.

"I know. He's just a dumb-ass. That's what Red said... I mean, I think that too." Hyde chuckled, tightening his hold around Jackie and she laughed. Eventually, she came to shake her head.

"I don't want to leave, Steven."

"Yes, you do-"

"No, I don't. I don't want to leave and miss Fez getting promoted at work or Michael graduating as a cop, or... Or you serving your first real jail sentence!" Jackie cackled through her sobs which made Hyde scoff and pretend to get up and leave her.

"That's not gonna happen. My weekends are gonna be pretty full. I mean, I've got college during the week and then watching stupid football games on the weekends!" He jested but Jackie turned to him fully.

"You got into college?! Steven, why didn't you tell me! Does Mrs Forman know?!"

"No, she doesn't. I didn't tell you because this has been your month. Anyway, come on. We gotta go. Mrs Forman wants to give you a hug and kiss goodbye." Hyde got up and helped Jackie to her feet but she leapt in for a hug.

"I don't want to go." Jackie said quietly. This was the second time that Hyde had seen Jackie so fragile. The first being when she fell and broke her ankle. It made him think. What made her so amped to stay? He would never know.

* * *

It was sad the night Jackie left. She herself felt empty when she left them at the gate. But, she sniffed back her tears and thought forward to her career and future. It was going to be competitive. But she was ready.

The group went back to the Cruiser and headed for home. Everybody was quiet. Eric even sniffed. Donna shed a tear herself. Nobody knew when they would see her again. Kelso cried openly, there was no hiding his tears. Fez just talked about how it would be without her. Hyde felt a depression in his chest. He didn't have his best friend. He just let her go after everything. He didn't know where they stood. Was it long-distance? Was it even a relationship? Of course it wasn't. Hyde told himself not to be so stupid. A slow Eric Clapton song came on the radio as they had just left the highway but it was aggressively slammed off with Hyde's flat palm.

"We don't need Clapton right now." He defended.

Hyde thanked his lucky stars that he was leaving the next day. Nobody would see his boredom without ride home was silent. The walk into the house was silent except for Kelso's muffled tears in the Cruiser. He wasn't ready to leave yet. Kitty greeted them all in the kitchen with a sad pout on her face.

"Oh, I didn't want to see her go. I should've went to the airport."

Everybody nodded and stood sadly before dispersing and looking forward in their own worlds. Hyde fought his own tears and instead, tightly gave Mrs Forman a hug. She reacted much like Hyde done whenever Jackie hugged him out of nowhere. Distraught and caught off guard. "Steven?" He didn't say anything, he just held onto his adoptive mother for as long as he could for some sense of comfort. He went to bed that night and thought himself into a depression.


	18. The Rush

Chapter Eighteen  
The Rush

Hyde promised himself to tell Mr and Mrs Forman the second he woke up. He washed and dressed, packed up his things and carried them upstairs in his pack. He then told Mr and Mrs Forman about his college plans in Iowa. To his surprise, they weren't angry or disappointed that he was leaving so soon after Jackie. He promised to send money when he could to help out but Red swore against it firmly. Hyde would do it anyway.

But soon, Hyde was gone. Nobody heard from either him or Jackie in the coming weeks. It came to Mrs Forman that she would have nobody left by the end of the year. She had thought herself into a sadness and then into a depression by the time Donna and Eric had left. Bob was no better. He had no wife, no daughter and was even thinking about downsizing and moving somewhere with 'kinder winters'. With Fez working long hours at the salon, Mrs Forman offered the basement to him that he could use until he saved enough money for his own apartment. Kelso stayed out at the Police Academy, frequently seeing a nice girl called Brooke on his off-days. Something had broken inside Kelso. He didn't use her or mess her around. He made dates and kept to them. Mrs Forman was proud.

* * *

A few weeks passed. Jackie called once a week, religiously. Hyde was sometimes four times a week. His Friday call-time-slot often clashed with Jackie's only slot. Eric and Donna stayed every weekend.

As Jackie stayed and worked hard in Texas, every time she caught a glimpse of a clock ticking forward an hour or even a calendar, her heart became heavier and she felt overwhelmed with guilt. She often doubted that she made a mistake in coming down to work when she could be getting her High School Diploma. But, more often than not, Jackie ignored it.

It was one day during, what Red would name a Conference Call, that their call-slots came together. They were both as surprised as each other when Mrs Forman managed to connect the calls with some help from a tired and worn-out Fez on his day off.

" _Steven!_ " Jackie piped up, leaning against the payphone outside of the football stadium as she finished training for the day.

" ** _Jackie? H-How- Mrs Forman, how?_** " Hyde asked in the rec-room in his dorm, the phone under his ear but a pool-cue in his hand.

"Oh, it was a-me." Fez jumped in before handing the phone back to Mrs Forman. She became quickly tangled in a mess of wires which made the connection go foggy.

" _So... How's college?_ " Jackie asked.

" ** _Oh, well, y'know. Like school. Lots of people. Lots of homework._** " Hyde straightened up from the pool table and handed his cue to another student as he took a seat at the table beside the phone.

Mrs Forman fought with the telephone wires and her line cut out much to her and Fez' disappointment. It was just Hyde and Jackie.

" _Good_."

" ** _Yeah, good. How are you liking Texas?_** " Hyde was nervous to ask and he didn't know why. His hands were clammy and he couldn't stop tapping his lighter off of the table top as he waited for her reply.

" _Oh, it's good, I suppose. There are some bitches in this team, let me tell you! But, Steven, there's more girls than I thought. Like, hundreds more. Must just be an open month for drop-ins, I don't know._ " Jackie shrugged as she talked and she gnawed on her thumbnail. There was something about the call that made her anxious. Wether it was Hyde's tone of voice or how quiet he was being, Jackie didn't know. But it made her cold and sweaty at the same time. As Hyde was going to reply, Jackie's payphone cut out and by the time Jackie managed to find more change, Hyde had hung up.

Jackie went to her apartment that she shared with an older couple and their dog. They were kind enough to give her a room as her apartment that was originally upstairs from the couple, fell through with mould and damp. She didn't know how long it would take to fix so immediately pulled out of the whole idea of an independent apartment. So long as Jackie pulled her weight in chores, she could stay.  
That night, Jackie had lost her adrenaline from Hyde's call. She was low and blue and not the cute kind of blue that made her pout, but the kind that made her stare at the wall by her bed until it started to warp and turn psychedelic. She had some of her pictures on her wall, some posters and prints. On her single bedside table was the photograph that Mr and Mrs Forman gave her the night she left. When she turned to switch off her small bedside lamp, it caught her eye. It then went on to stick through her dreams.

It was vivid. Like Jackie had been thrown back in time.

* * *

 _It was a Saturday afternoon. The day after the very first Final exam- after Hyde's discussion with Mrs Forman about Jackie. Mrs Forman wanted everybody in for a picture to go in her album. Eric complained as well as Kelso. They didn't understand why they had to be there but Red was adamant._

 _"You are here because you are my son. And the rest of you; well, you all pretty much live here as it is. So just, shut up, fix your clothes and smile when she tells you to smile, damn it!" Red warned from the bar, making himself a stiff drink. Jackie and Donna sat side by side on the couch, looking through Mrs Forman's different magazines and books she left lying around. It was at this point, Mrs Forman burst through the kitchen door with her camera. Fez fixed his sweater-vest and pants. He was sure that he would steal the limelight in this photo. She clapped her hands and grabbed everybody's attention._

 _"Okay, alright, ah-ha-ha-ha! Okay, girls, you sit right there on the couch. Jackie, you swap sides with Donna. Sit by the window-side." Kitty instructed, making Jackie flip her hair ove rher shoulder and move to the other side of her friend._

 _"Mrs Forman gets it. Natural light is my best light, especially with this Very-Berry-Peach blush." Jackie muttered to Hyde and Eric on the piano bench. They both shook their head and stayed silent,_

 _"Okay, Michael, Michael, get out of the den and come here. Fez, you just crouch down there at Donna's feet and hide those jeans like I told her not to wear because they have spaghetti stains on the pockets!" She said with a laugh, rushing Fez to sit by Donna. As Fez sat and prepared himself, Kelso dragged himself from the fireplace in the den and stood behind the couch with his hands in his pockets,_

 _"Mrs Forman, we're missing CHiPS!" whined Kelso but Red just sipped his drink,_

 _"My foot won't be missin' your ass if you keep going."_

 _"Alright, Michael. If we stand right there just like you are, Eric, Steven, stand behind the girls. Red, you come over and stand behind me." Mrs Forman was exasperated already but they had just hit a bit of a snag with the photograph. Who was taking the picture?_

 _"ME! I'LL DO IT! I WILL!" Kelso yelled but Jackie rolled her eyes and refused,_

 _"Michael, you'll probably set the house on fire or something. Get the foreigner to do it." She scowled._

 _"What is with you today? God, you're like Supremo Bitch." Eric said quietly leaning on the small half-wall behind the couch. Hyde crossed his arms over his t-shirt clad chest, shaking his head,_

 _"It's because she had to take a day off work to be here. Didn't you? And, the best part; it's an unpaid day-off." Hyde smiled but Jackie turned around on the couch to smack him in the leg. The group became rowdy very quickly,_

 _"Alright! Alright! Can we all just calm down-"_

 _From the kitchen, entered Bob. He was over to talk to Red about an autoshow that was in a couple of weeks but Mrs Forman thrust the camera into his hand and told him where to stand. Bob was too scared to refuse the small and amped up woman that had put on her best eyebrow pencil for this. So Bob took the camera over to the TV and stood, ready to take the picture._


	19. Tis The Season

Chapter Nineteen  
'Tis The Season

It was mid December when Hyde, Eric and Donna had made it back to Point Place. They now had two blissful weeks ahead of them. Hyde greeted Mrs Forman with a tight hug and even picked her up before making his way down to the basement to drop off his things. Fez and Kelso were sitting on the couch watching TV, Kelso's new girlfriend sitting beside Kelso. They greeted Hyde warmly and with great hugs and yells. Hyde politely shook Brooke's hand and didn't notice the phone ringing loudly, echoing around the room. It eventually came to a stop as Hyde was on his way upstairs to take a shower and put some clothes in the washer. Mr Forman had answered and was brightly smiling at his wife on the couch.

"Sure, we can get you... Yep... Alright. Seven, you say? Alright... Yep. Michael will be there. Yep. Okay! Great. Bye-bye."Red hung up the phone and looked at Hyde who was halfway up the stairs.

"Who was it? Where's Kelso going?" Hyde asked defensively.

"He's just running me some errands. Don't worry." Mrs Forman laughed, shooing Hyde upstairs for his shower.

* * *

A little while later after a quick family dinner, whipped up by Mrs Forman, Hyde made a list of essentials to get him through his stay at the Forman's. Things to help him relax just a little bit more before he had to run back to College at the start of the year. It was when Kelso picked up his car-keys and gave Brooke a small peck, Hyde got up and walked with Kelso to the car, leaving the rest of the group together in the living-room discussing whatever was on TV.

"Wait, _Steven_ , where are you going?!" Mrs Forman asked quickly, letting go of the dishes in the sink. They fell to the bottom with a muted clunk and the water swished around Mrs Forman's hands.

"Well, I'm gonna go get beer. Kelso has your list, I have mine." He smiled, turning to continue to the car.

"Wait, man, wait... Why don't _I_ pick up your beer?" Kelso pinched Hyde's slip of paper with his 'essentials' on it.

"Yeah, right!" scoffed Hyde, pushing Kelso out to the car which was parked slightly down from the house, "Come on, stop goofin'. We are in primo-beer time. Leave it any longer and I'm just gonna fall asleep. And I don't want that... Carson's on tonight."

"Alright, man... Your funeral." Kelso whispered to himself but Hyde latched on to the end of his sentence as they climbed into the car.

"Wait, what?"

* * *

It came to be 6:30. Her flight was early. They had made record time despite a large storm coming through the mid-west. It wasn't a bad one. Just rain. She looked at her watch and wandered around the airport slowly. She called the Forman's to let Kelso know that she had landed early but he had already left. She just had to wait. Jackie left the warmth of the airport to sit outside in the cold wind. She scanned a free in-flight magazine before shoving it onto her purse. The longer Jackie sat, her heart became weighed down more and more. She hadn't spoken to anybody for so long. Her prospects didn't pan out the way she had planned. Hell, she didn't even know if the one person worth coming home for was even there. But she had no time to dwell. Before long, Kelso's horrid lime-green and white van pulled into the 'pick up' lane and he blared his horn to her.

"Jackie! Hi! Jackie!" He leaned out of the window to yell in her direction. Jackie cringed and rushed over to the van to load up her two suitcases,

"Michael, please just get me out of here. I am not in the mood." She sighed, handing him her purse to sit on the front seat for her.

"There's my little Cheerleader-" Kelso began but Jackie's look said everything. He quietened down and didn't think to ask. He knew how snippy she got when she was pissed. "Alright, first thing is first, when you are in the Kelso-mobile, you smile at all times, regardless of whatever may happen!" He said, staring forward and blinking wildly. Jackie nodded with a small laugh. The small shine of humor from Kelso made her realise how much she missed her other friends. This made her desperate to get home.

Kelso started the drive home and they happily drove in the quiet with only a hum of an engine and static of a broken radio. He took sharp turns and overtook old-ladies but he just laughed. Jackie had missed Point Place too much to even comprehend.

"Alright, we gotta pick someone up first." Kelso's chirpy attitude melted as he turned into the parking lot of the liquor store. Jackie nodded and slid over to allow the passenger space. The back door slid open and a heavy crate was slid across the van floor. The door was slammed and in hopped the passenger from the front door. JAckie was at a loss.

"Steven." She said warmly and a smile grew on her face. Kelso smiled at Hyde's astonishment. His face was blank and his mouth was slightly agape in shock.

"You knew about this?" He bypassed Jackie and spoke directly to Kelso who goofily nodded rapidly. Hyde slammed the passenger door closed behind him and he leaned back against it slightly, "So, this was Mrs Forman's 'errand'? Jackie coming home?"

"Steven-"

"Jackie is home?! But... It's football season. I've got a pool goin'. Now I don't even have to watch?" Hyde's mind could barely focus on one thing at a time.

"You didn't have to. I didn't." Kelso shrugged, putting the car into gear.

It was an awkward and thick silence for the remainder of the short journey home to the Forman's. Jackie clutched her purse tightly, her hands sweating against the leather. Inside, she was on fire. Hyde had came home and she could spend all the lost time with him.

Hyde on the other hand was caught off guard. He didn't entirely welcome Jackie the way he thought he would when he saw her again. It all just kind of tumbled out and he had no time to think. That wasn't what he wanted at all. There was too much going on right now.

* * *

Jackie was welcomed back warmly by everybody. They all hugged and it was nice to watch but not be involved with. Hyde had made it like that for himself with his shock and lack of filter. He knew he had offended Jackie but had no idea how to approach her to apologise. It was actually near the end of the night when he bid Fez and Eric goodnight that Jackie followed him upstairs to the kitchen where he grabbed a glass of water to take to bed.

"Hyde?" She said quietly, placing her hand on top of the stove as he ran the cold faucet.

"Yeah?" Hyde replied, tired and not entirely paying attention.

"Can we talk?" Jackie asked. This made him turn and realise it was Jackie. He lost the ability to speak but nodded instead. As Jackie came closer, he stopped her and found his voice,

"Before you say whatever you're going to, I'm sorry I ignored you earlier. I didn't ... y'know, I didn't mean it to come out like that." Hyde felt better now that he had purged himself of the horribly guilty feeling. Jackie just agreed but shrugged it off. It didn't really affect her as bad as Hyde thought it had. Jackie sat up on the counter top beside the draining board as Hyde just leaned on the stove.

"Alright. First thing; I didn't get the Cheerleading gig. I totally misunderstood the letter. It wasn't them giving me the job. It was an audition. With hundreds of other girls."

"Alright? So you didn't get it. At least you tried."

"No, no, I did _get_ it. I mean, Steven, come on. Head Cheerleader. No, I did get it." Jackie corrected and became shy and coy. "I didn't accept it."

Hyde just chuckled to himself, sipping his water and shaking his head, "Why the hell not?"

"I got homesick.I couldn't stay that far-away forever. I couldn't do that to my dad-"

"The dad that didn't even see you off to the airport or even out the house to _go_ to the airport? That dad? The dad that could never make dinner with you or even 'brunch' dates with you? That same dad?" Hyde became more defensive and Jackie didn't understand why. She was hurt now. Why couldn't Hyde see that Jack was still her father, regardless of their past.

"Yeah. But I couldn't do it to Mr and Mrs Forman either." Jackie had to hold herself back from pouring out her heart. Hyde had really upset her but it was overshadowed by her burning affection that brought her home. She couldn't let him know that. Instead, Jackie just jumped down from the counter, grabbed her coat from the stand by the basement door and made her way out to go home. She would collect her things the next day.


	20. The Conversation

Chapter Twenty  
The Conversation

Jackie lay that very same night in bed, crying and weeping with nobody around to hear. She was too proud to admit that she was home for the Forman's and Hyde. Not her father. Hell, he wasn't even home. She kicked herself over and over; why couldn't she just tell Hyde? What was stopping her?! Maybe, she thought, things changed since she had left, too drastically to revert back to the way it was. Her mind was a million-miles-a-minute and she couldn't concentrate on one thing. Instead, Jackie just cried through the night until it became morning.

Donna called, waking her from her sad-slumber.

"Hello?"

" _Jackie, it's Donna. You totally flaked last-night!I was gonna ask if you wanted to come Ice Skating at the mall with Fez and me?_ "

Jackie groaned a response, pushing herself up, "Alright, I'll go. Meet me at the mall at two?"

" _Alright! See you later_!" Donna hung up the phone and Jackie lay back down in bed. There was no way Jackie wanted to go today, but she had to. To keep face.

* * *

Two o'clock came by quickly. Jackie was being picked up in the Cruiser. Eric was tagging along too. She sat in the back seat beside Fez who noticed how quiet she was being.

"Jackie. You're quiet."

"Yeah, Fez is right. You're on a totally different planet!" Eric joined. Jackie shrugged. There was no energy for her to talk.

"I'm fine, really, fine." She smiled from nowhere, anxious to get out of the car but Eric was taking forever. There was a sick, heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach; something she couldn't quite shake. It was something she had never felt before in such a sad situation. Was this guilt or just self-pity? She didn't know. The ride to the mall was quiet. Fez chewed candy and Donna gabbed with Eric, laughing, full of love. It pushed Jackie to the edge, "Are you guys going to do this all day?!" She snapped loudly. Donna turned at the outburst and her brows were knotted,

"Do what?" snapped Donna,

"Be embarassing. You are embarassing."

"Jackie, we're just messin' around-" Eric defended with a scoff but as soon as he had pulled into a parking space, Jackie was out with the door slammed behind her. She stumbled across the icy sidewalk and crossings until she was safely in the mall. Before long, the gang had caught up with her. Fez was excited to get skating so he lead the way. Donna just watched Jackie but that irritated her.

"Can I help you, Donna?! Please!"

"Jackie, c'mon!" Donna instructed, roughly guiding Jackie towards the Ladies' bathroom. Eric followed Fez, not willing to get involved with Jackie and her mood-swings.

"Alright, Donna, what?!" Jackie was annoyed as she stood against the paper-towel dispenser. "What is your problem?"

"No, Jackie. What is your problem today? You were fine yesterday! You were so happy to be home! What is with you?!" Donna was close to yelling and Jackie was starting to crack. When Donna yelled, she felt much like a small child being scolded by an angry parent, it pushed her close to tears. Jackie shrugged and kicked her boot on the tiles with her face and heart heavy.

"I am sad, Donna. I feel like my guts are being swirled around and I can't stop thinking!"

"About what?"

"I don't know," Jackie lied, "Everything?"

"Jackie, look, be real with me, alright? A question for an answer. One at a time." Donna gave the suggestion and Jackie heard it. Her hands were shoved into her coat pockets, nervous about what Donna was thinking about asking. Donna unzipped her jacket and hopped up beside the sinks to take a seat. She tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned forward. She was meaning business.

"Is it Hyde that's mixing up your guts?"

"I don't know." Jackie was taken aback. How did Donna know that Hyde had anything to do with it?

"Alright. Is it your dad being away that's making you all mixed up?"

"I don't know."

"C'mon, Jackie."

"Okay, fine. Steven- look, I don't know, okay. We argued last night and he mentioned my dad so I suppose it's both!" Jackie sighed and lowered her voice as other women entered the bathrooms. "Look, he's just being... Steven," Jackie sighed, "I can't change that. He was honest and it hurt."

"You have to tell him that, Jackie. Tell him that he upset you."

* * *

Jackie left Donna in the ladies' room to catch up with Fez and Eric, ignoring everything and burying her head into the sand. She wouldn't confront Hyde. She could only imagine the scenario; She would nervously confront him and he would blow her off with a scoff and a disheartening sweep of the hand as though to be rid of her. Jackie would put it behind her after that.

The small group waited for Donna and once she caught up with them at the rink, they bought their skates. Fez was the most excited; he was the first to lace up the skates and be out on the ice. Donna escorted a hobbling Eric onto the rink, only giving Jackie a sympathetic smile and gesture to join them. She followed slowly.

* * *

At the Forman's house, snow was falling thickly and quickly outside. In the basement, Kelso and Hyde sat and played cards, almost in silence.

"You alright, man?" Kelso had asked.

"Yeah, fine." Hyde replied coldly. And that was it, except for the odd 'Go Fish' and 'Fold'.

Hyde wasn't fine. He was super P.O'd at himself for what he had said to Jackie. He regretted it but couldn't get it off his mind. It had kept him up the whole night, thinking how he could've said it differently. It was forever on repeat in his head.

"Hyde? C'mon, you've got no cards left! Can't play with no cards!" Kelso scoffed, kicking his friend's leg and snapping him out of his daze. Hyde was miles away.

"Yeah, sorry, man. You win." Hyde got up from his stool and went upstairs, leaving Kelso with the pile of cards and the record playing over and over. He shoved his hands into his jeans, entering the kitchen to Mrs Forman cooking dinner.

"Steven, are you going to be home for dinner? It's tuna casserole night!" She offered and Hyde leaned against the side-table by the phone. He nodded. Mrs Forman stopped stirring her pot and sat down the wooden spoon on the side. She had her hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

Hyde shook his head, shrugging too. Mrs Forman tapped her foot and turned to brew a coffee, knowing it would take more than a soft voice and a smile to get Hyde to talk. She invited him to sit with her at the table. Hyde knew what Mrs Forman was getting at but wouldn't give in to it. He didn't even know how to word it. He had been a total ass to Jackie and he knew it. And Mrs Forman would call him out on it. He didn't need his nose rubbed in it again. He had tortured himself enough.

"Steven-?"

"Alright, fine! But this is between me and you. I was a jerk to Jackie. I screwed up. We talked last night and I brought her dad into it!" Hyde groaned, leaning on his fist as Mrs Forman just listened. She nodded, taking it all in. "I only wanted to say that I was sorry for ignoring her when Kelso picked her up last night. But, she kept talking... Why does she always have to talk-"

"Why do you always have to reply?" Mrs Forman shared her first pearl of wisdom with a raised eyebrow and a nod.

"Okay, I don't know. Anyway, Jackie didn't accept her place in Texas, something to do with her dad and not wanting to leave him or something." Hyde was kicking himself. His stomach done somersaults. Mrs Forman just smiled. "Then I said 'What, that dad who didn't say goodbye to you the night you left?' I screwed it up." He put his head down onto his arms, bouncing his leg in frustration also. Mrs Forman stretched out her hand past her coffee cup to comfort her boy but couldn't help but laugh. This made Hyde straighten up with a look of disgust. "What's funny? I was an ass!"

"Oh, Steven. Do you know that girl at all? Do you?" Mrs Forman smiled and took a sip from her cup, "Jackie didn't come home for her always-absent father. What is there for her in that house? Nothing. She didn't come home for myself or Red. She doesn't connect with us. I think Jackie came home because she's warming to the idea of admitting to herself that she misses her friends. Have you ever thought of that? That she misses everyone too much? Her only friends? Your only friends?" Mrs Forman commented and pat Hyde's sleeve-covered arm. "Jackie has evolved so much since she first came into this house. When I first met her, she was all about appearance and things and status. What is she now?"

"Well, still all of that... But... I guess, she's nice now? She brought us presents home. I saw them in the den with her bags."

"Evolved, Steven. Changed."

* * *

 _AN? Sorry for the very long hiatus. I've been so busy with work and haven't had much time to write! I'll be uploading when I can! Thank you so much for the following and reviews xo_


	21. The Re-Invention

Chapter Twenty One  
The Re-Invention

It came closer to Christmas with each passing day. Jackie stayed a few nights in Donna's, reconnecting with her old friend after the heated argument they had at the mall.

It was near midnight one night when they group had reformed in the basement after a long day of gathering up Christmas gifts and helping Mrs Forman with her decorations. Hyde sat in his chair as he always done, Fez by his side on the couch. Jackie and Donna sat next to Fez with Eric behind Donna on the back of the sofa. Kelso was kicked back in a chair, his eyes fluttering between sleep. Jackie toyed with her hair, staring at the TV in disinterest. Donna chatted with Eric and Fez. Mrs Forman came downstairs with tomorrow's laundry, chatting to Red who was adamant about ridding the house of the kids as soon as possible. Donna and Fez took the hint, saying goodbye to the group and leaving happily. Kelso was passed out, snoring wildly by the time Red came to him. His name was yelled and without thinking, Kelso was awake and running up the basement stairs to the garage. Red almost started on Jackie but Mrs Forman shook her head and made Red move upstairs, leaving her with Eric and Hyde. Eric looked around and hummed.

"So, Jackie, when are _you_ going home?"

"I'll go now, God. I'll see you guys later!" Jackie was disgusted but got up and walked away to the basement door. She was gone, following Fez and Donna. Hyde scoffed, shaking his head at Eric before getting to his feet. He took the stairs two-at-a-time to catch up with her on the thick snow which covered the driveway. The Camino was buried down the street.

"Uh, Jackie?" Hyde asked, stepping into the snow with just his socks covering his feet. She turned with her coat hood pulled up and her purse over her arm. Her hands were stuffed into her pockets. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"What? After the past week of ignoring me?! Are you going to say my mom isn't a good mom now? Talk about the whole family?" Jackie was clearly annoyed and wouldn't let it go.

"Jackie, if I did that, I'd be bringing Mr and Mrs Forman into it. You're family... And, I didn't mean it to come out like that last night."

"But it did, okay? You can't change that."

"I know! If I could take it back, I wouldn't. You deserve better. Look, I'm sorry if it hurts but it's true. Th-that night, you didn't want to go, where was he?" Hyde asked. He couldn't stop himself. It was word-vomit. It wouldn't stop. Jackie's face became distorted and she was hurt more and more.

"I don't want to talk about my dad, Steven. I just don't." Jackie shook her head and turned to walk away,

"God, Jackie, damn! Listen to me!" Hyde had adrenaline rushing all over his body. Everything was just coming out and happening. Jackie turned and shook her head,

"Go inside. You're going to get a cold." She said calmly, wiping a tear away.

"No. Not until I know that we are okay, Jackie." Hyde was firm and leaned against the Vista Cruiser, waiting for her to say something. They stood in the cold snow for a time until Jackie nodded and sniffed, coming over to Hyde by the car. She leaned beside him, facing into the dark kitchen of the Forman's.

"I know he's a bad dad. You think I wanted to come back and be met with him?"

"Were you?"

"No. He wasn't home last night." Jackie said timidly and Hyde groaned, turning on his feet to slam his hand on the hood of the car.

"Damn it, Jackie! Why didn't you call?! That house is huge! And it was your first night back. You could'a stayed here with people who care."

"He _did_ care. He left a note for Emilia saying he'd be out of town for a few days. She told me."

Hyde scoffed, laughing, "A note? Wow, what a guy!" Hyde was purely sarcastic and angry. Jackie shook her head and went to walk away but Hyde took her arm, "Okay, I'm sorry. Okay. He cares enough to leave a note. Look, when is he home? You can stay here until he's home. Mrs Forman set up Laurie's room just in case!" Hyde smiled and Jackie was quick to cave.

"Okay, fine. But I'm not wearing Laurie's pyjamas."Jackie chuckled and pointed at Hyde. He nodded.

"What pyjamas?" Hyde laughed. Jackie fought her laugh but she joined. "Come on, I'll walk you home to get some stuff. I'm not gonna be able to shovel the Camino out until tomorrow."

* * *

Hyde ran inside to grab his boots and he met Jackie back outside. They walked the deadly quiet streets together, reverting back to normal slowly. Jackie talked about the weather in Texas and how it gave her an even tan. Hyde listened to every word. Hyde spoke about college and Jackie asked her questions. It was as though Jackie had never been away and their argument had never happened. Jackie unlocked the front door to the house, only to be met by her father in the sitting room.

"Jackie! You're _back_!" He was startled. A few of her father's work colleagues were in the room and their conversation died. They were all shifty. "I didn't think you were coming home at all! Wow, I've missed you, kitten!" Her father disregarded Hyde standing a few paces back, observing the scene. Hyde knew it was something illegal; he could smell it a mile off. Jackie gravitated back towards Hyde. Her father only looked disapprovingly at Hyde. "What are you and your friend doing, kitten?"

"Well, I was coming to grab some overnight things. I didn't know that you would be home."

"And what is your friend's name?"

"Dad, you know Steven. Steven Hyde."

"The same Steven Hyde who stole my great aunt's valued Crystal Whiskey decanter?"

"No, that was Billy Makelroy. I _bought_ it from him." Hyde corrected. "It sits on my dresser." Mr Burkhart wasn't pleased but Jackie kept the peace.

"Okay, dad, we're going to my room!" She took Steven's arm and dragged him over to the stairs and Hyde remained quiet. Jackie didn't like Hyde's quietness. "Steven? Was it what my dad said? About the decanter?"

Hyde just shook his head as they walked the long corridor to Jackie's room. "What? No, no I don't care about that! It's what he was doing."

"What was he doing?" Jackie asked turning the handle to her room door. She stopped and became silent. It wasn't her room anymore. Her bright pink walls were gone. Her single bed was nowhere to be seen. Jackie ran to the bathroom. Her beauty products had vanished too. Jackie stood by her en-suite door and covered her mouth. All her things had been compressed into three small boxes in the corner where her closet used to stand. It was now a bookshelf. Instead of her bed, there was a futon and a chair. Without her pink walls, they were 'Avocado Blossom'. Everything Jackie had known was boxed up. Her father had replaced her. Hyde had no idea what to do. He was torn between piling up the boxes and carrying them all the way back to the Forman's or going downstairs to give Jack a piece of his mind. Jackie collapsed onto the futon and felt around her. It wasn't long before she started to sob and cry. Hyde went to her and sat with her before eventually convincing her to come home with him.


	22. The Go-To Guy

Chapter Twenty Two  
The Go-To-Guy

It was almost three by the time Jackie had calmed down enough to pack and head back to the Forman's. When they arrived, Hyde met Red in the kitchen, refilling his hot cocoa for a restful night. Mr Forman allowed Jackie to go upstairs and hunker down in Laurie's old room.

"Red? What's happening? What's with all the coming and going?" Kitty wandered into the kitchen in her nightgown and hair still in rollers.

"It's that 'Jackie' kid, Kitty. Jack's boxed up her room and she's got nowhere else to go. I tell 'ya, how can that man live with himself?"

"Well, is she in Laurie's room? Did she bring her things?" She asked, looking at Hyde with hopeful eyes. Hyde lightly tapped the two boxes on the kitchen table,

"That's all he had left her. Some clothes and pictures and perfume."

"What I don't get is when she got here, she stayed at home. H-How could he just redecorate around her?!" Kitty snapped and Hyde shrugged but replied,

"He wasn't home when she was. Obviously had no idea she was comin' back."

Kitty sat at the kitchen table, thinking in silence. Red was furious that a man could erase his daughter from his life. But Hyde. Hyde was curious about Jack's dodgy business dealings in the front room of the house. He managed to push it aside after a short while to ensure Jackie was settled in. He could only imagine on the walk upstairs how Jackie was processing it all. He knew how it felt to have no parents looking out for him. It settled all too well in Hyde's mind. Once at the bedroom door, he went to knock but Eric came stumbling out of his bedroom, armed with a comic book and standing defensively.

"Hyde. There's someone in Laurie's room."

"Yeah, it's Jackie, man!" Hyde hissed and pushed Forman back into his room. Hyde yanked the bedroom door to Eric's room over and it slammed shut. He went and opened Jackie's door. It was dark and there was barely any sign of a person being in it except for the mound beneath the covers of the bed. She was quiet but not quite sleeping. Hyde figured to leave her be but she knew he was there.

"Steven? Is that you?" She asked, her head facing the back wall of Laurie's bedroom. She had closed over the curtains and expelled most of the light from the room. Hyde fumbled in the dark as he turned back around to her.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you're alright. I mean, I know you're not but if you say you're 'fine' I'll just leave you-"

"I'm not fine." She sighed and the duvet covers creased and rubbed together with her movements. Hyde took off his glasses, walking over in the genral direction of Jackie's voice to sit with her for a while. He patted along the foot of the bed until he hit her feet. It was at this point, Hyde sat on her side, leaning over her legs now that she had sat up.

"I know you're not, man. I know."

"And I have to go to church tomorrow, like... I don't know... A woman without a country. I won't belong to any family, I'll be by myself next to the bums and dropouts. Ugh, I just can't stand the thought of looking at him!" Jackie became frustrated quickly, fighting tears as well as her heart wrenching in her chest. Hyde sat his glasses down onto the bed and gently placed his hand onto her leg. Immediately, Jackie put her hand on top of his. It was damp from tears.

"Go with Mrs Forman."

"But, Eric. Does Eric go?"

"Yeah, sure. Donna goes."

"But you don't?"

"No! God is an illusion to distract us from the harsh, brutal reality of the outside world. Most of the world's breaking news happens when everybody is in church. Fact."

"I'm sure that's not true, Steven."

"It is! Look it up!" Hyde retorted and he heard her laugh. It made him feel better.

"Do you ever switch off, Steven?"

"I can't. If I do, bad things will start to happen. I can't risk that! One of us in this country has to be switched on!" Hyde toyed with her, trying to cheer her up by doing absolutely nothing at all. They sat up for some time, talking and relaxing and zoning in and out of sleep together before Jackie decided to go to sleep for real. "So, you gonna go to church? You ready for that?"

"No. I'll just stay here, if it's okay?"

"Fine. Whatever. Do what you have to do. But if you come downstairs and change my channel on the TV when I'm eating my cereal, I'm gonna be; A) Super Pissed and B) Definitely sending you to church next week." Hyde spoke seriously but Jackie continued to laugh and lighten up as she made herself comfortable.

"Alright, deal, Steven."

Hyde sat up to leave Jackie but he couldn't just go.

"Why do you always use my first name? You've never called me 'Hyde' to my face. Ever. In the whole time you knew me."

"I just- it's personal. You do it too. You _always_ call me 'Jackie'."

"Well, how am I meant to know I'm doin' it?"

"It's just personal, I guess. Good-night, Steven."

"Good-night, _Burkhart_!"

* * *

The next morning as the Forman's were at church, Jackie watched TV in the basement as Hyde rolled for the day ahead. Kojak was on, rerunning older episodes. Hyde was still in his pyjamas as he set up for the first smoke of the day. Jackie on the other hand, was fully washed and changed into her day-wear. It was just a week before Christmas. Her gifts for her friends were wrapped. Hyde hadn't started and he wasn't going to 'feed the machine' as he liked to call it. It made everybody roll their eyes but that was just Hyde. Near eleven, Donna and Eric came through the basement door to join a Circle. Jackie sat it out and went upstairs to make phonecalls about apartment listings.

 _Hyde kicked back in his chair with a heavy cardigan on and tube socks keeping his feet warm on the cold winter morning. Donna took off her uncomfortable winter jacket, resting into the couch with Eric._

 _"So, Hyde, man. Jackie, huh? Stayin' here?" Eric asked nonchalantly but Hyde was sharp as a tack._

 _"Yeah, 'cause her dad moved her out before she had a chance to say anything. Big deal, Forman."_

 _"But, you have feelings for her. How're you gonna live with that?"_

 _"With what? What 'feelings'? Jackie's a friend." Hyde brushed his friend off, shaking his head and avoiding the topic of romance with Jackie all together. Eric just raised his hands in defense and laughed,_

 _"Eric's right, Hyde. Can you be around her?"Donna joined but Hyde was getting more and more agitated about it all,_

 _"Look, having that kind of thing with Jackie is the last thing on my mind, a'right? Her dad just kicked her out. I'm being a pal. And besides, it's Christmas. Being a good guy for Big Brother." Hyde got up and grabbed a soda from beside the washer and dryer._

 _"I'm just saying you were hasty last night trying to get rid of me!" Eric chuckled but Hyde came to the back of the couch,_

 _"Y'know why, Forman? Because Jackie is comfortable with me talking to her. I was there in the house when she got moved out. It's not somethin' that she's gonna talk about with anybody-"_

 _"So, you're 'that guy'?" Donna asked, crossing her arms over and smiling, "Sounds like you're her go-to-guy."_

 _"No, I've just been where she has. Look, Jackie and I are friends, alright? There was a spare room here, Mr and Mrs Forman are happy to have her. I gave her help. There's nothin' goin' on there. I swear it guys. We were alone all night and all morning and we barely even looked at each other. So, for now, you guys can get off my case and let Jackie settle in. Give this a break." Hyde had made himself perfectly clear in his eyes. Donna and Eric were taken aback. Hyde really cared about making Jackie as comfortable and as happy as possible as he could given her situation. He was just being a good friend, like Eric was to Hyde when Edna left._


	23. The Mad Sounds

Chapter Twenty Three  
The Mad Sounds

It was later in the evening when Eric decided to give the gifts that the group had gotten each other except for Hyde. Eric gave his friends beers or socks or things like that. Donna done the same. Fez gave everybody a different candy that he believed to represent their personality. Eric, Hyde and Kelso got a Three Musketeers bar. Jackie had bought everybody beers from around the world. Hyde got six cans of an English beer but everyone else got local beer. Mrs Forman called the group upstairs for dinner but Hyde hung around for a while before grabbing Jackie.

"I got you-"

"Steven, no. You don't give gifts! No. Come on. Let's get dinner." Jackie shook her head, going to walk back upstairs but Hyde was adamant.

"Jackie, come on. It's Christmas. Screw 'the machine'. You'll love it."

Jackie was persuaded and waited at the bottom of the stairwell as Hyde dashed into his bedroom, rummaging for the small, compact present. Jackie inspected her nails and scuffed her boots on the step until Hyde came back. He sat on the step and she joined him, fixing her skirt as she sat.

"I wrapped it last night when you were upstairs. It's nothing, really." Hyde scoffed, playing himself off as cool and uninterested, not succumbing to the ritual of Christmas. Jackie took the wrapped box and watched Hyde watch her open it up. She unfolded the corners and paper flaps, keeping the paper in tact. Out slid a smaller box and a picture. Jackie looked at Hyde in disbelief.

"What is _this_?!" She asked, brushing the class of the small magnet-sized picture.

"Look. It's the one Mrs Forman took before you moved away. When you didn't wanna go. You remember that?"

"I do. It's perfect, Steven."

"I had to go through her spools and find it and take it to the Fotohut. It's nothing."

"I love it. I do. Who would have thought that you, Steven Hyde were as thoughtful and reminiscent as you are. Thank you!"

Jackie pulled him into a hug, forgetting the other small box. It clambered to the floor at their feet and she pulled away. Hyde leaned on his knees, resting on his fist. His index finger rested by his nose and his middle finger sat on his lips. She looked at him, wondering if it was for her also. He nodded and grunted quietly. Jackie sat the small picture on the step behind her to focus on the small, burgundy box that was barely the size of a slice of cheese. She opened it by the hinges first before turning it around to get the box open.

"Steven, no. That's too much. No!" Jackie gasped and laughed in utter shock.

"I didn't know what you liked so I asked Donna. You know what she said?"

Jackie shook her head.

"Anything that's shiny and obnoxious. Her words, man. Her words." He smiled and immediately, Jackie sat the box down to take out her small earrings and replace them for the ones Hyde had bought her.

"I love them!" Jackie fumbled with her earrings but eventually, they were in. Hyde thought she was the most beautiful girl in Point Place but couldn't gain the strength to peck her cheek. She done it instead. Jackie lingered and held the side of his face with her hand as the other hand held onto her earring box.

* * *

Upstairs as Hyde and Jackie rejoined the group for dinner, Kelso was ramming mashed potatoes and broccoli down his neck. Fez picked at his food, heavily salting it before being happy enough to eat. Donna sat by Eric, involved completely in their own worlds, discussing Christmas Day and then New Years.

"Oh, oh, oh, Jackie, Steven; there's one seat over by Red and another with Fez." Mrs Forman grinned, dishing up more sides to the meal. Ideally, they planned to sit near each other and share private conversations but they were poles apart at the table. Jackie sat by Red at the head of the table where Kitty had squeezed in extra chairs. Hyde ate between Fez and Kelso, talking with everybody at the table. The family and friends ate away, polishing off the dishes of food happily. Kelso muttered behind Hyde to Fez but Fez shrugged. It was then Hyde who asked what was going on. Kelso was quiet but Hyde cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair,

"I don't know, man. Ask her." Hyde said quietly.

"What're you dumb-asses whispering about?" Red asked, putting his clean plate on top of Jackie's and then Donna's. Fez knotted his napkin in his lap, terrified to even attempt eye-contact with Red. Kelso spoke,

"I was just wonderin' when we'll see Jackie on TV. We haven't seen her yet." Kelso shrugged but intrigued the whole dinner table. Jackie looked around nervously, smiling and nodding, eventually she came to shrug herself,

"I don't know yet. Different girls for different games, I suppose?"

And that was the end of it. Nobody bothered her about it again.

* * *

Donna excused herself after dinner to go home and join Bob across the driveway for a night of Grinch re-runs and fixing Christmas decorations for her grandmother coming to visit for the holidays. The family disbanded into the kitchen and the den as Donna hopped downstairs to grab her jacket. She dodged the pile of wrapping paper on the bottom step, jumping over it and landing on the ground after it. She heard a crack. Did Hyde leave a pipe lying around? Did Hyde even have a pipe? She pulled on her jacket from the couch and turned back around to investigate. She bent down to pick it up slowly, muttering a quiet 'damn' under her breath. The glass to the photo frame had shattered and the shards tumbled down to the concrete as Donna stood up. She prayed it wasn't anything important and had just been left lying around. But the gift-wrap suggested otherwise. The frame was turned over and it was then clear to Donna, she had broken the gift. She didn't know if it was Hyde's gift or Jackie's but part of her was filled with confusion. Were they going out and not telling anybody? Was Hyde just comforting her? Donna folded the photo frame up in her scarf and fled the basement to head home, mulling everything over for the rest of the night.


	24. The Great Pretender

Chapter Twenty Four  
The Great Pretender

Jackie went to bed that night, disheartened that she couldn't find Hyde's gift for her. She eventually put it down to him just clearing it away out of peering eyes. But She lay in bed and thought about the evening she had left. How everybody held on to her in the airport. They had all hugged as a group and then eventually individually once Jackie and Fez had both stopped crying. The timer hadn't worked on Mrs Forman's camera that Fez had given to a stranger for the group picture. Not until Hyde was saying goodbye. The group had been trying to figure it all out, all the while, Hyde and Jackie are trying to calm down and breathe through everything. The picture was of Hyde telling Jackie to keep her chin-up through it all and not to even think twice about coming home. The way he lifted her chin for a split second and the mid-laugh he had going on as well as Jackie's turned up face, swollen with tears. It had all been captured. She held on to that for the rest of the night.

* * *

Christmas was only a few days away when Kelso stormed into the Hub in a fit of anger and upset. Brooke had broken up with him over a small, petty thing. Looking at another girl.

"Well, it's not like you kissed her." Fez said from the Pinball machine but Kelso was quiet. He just shook his head and Donna scoffed, shoving his shoulder.

"Disgusting. To think that you would've learned from everything that happened with Jackie." Donna moved away from Kelso to sit nearer to Hyde. Kelso groaned and whined, rolling his head along the table edge before getting up and perking up.

"What's goin' on?" asked Hyde. He wished he hadn't asked.

"Jackie's single, right? It all makes sense. I can't keep a girl 'cause the one girl I did want wasn't here! It's like math! I'm gonna go find her." Kelso was excited, coming to his realisation about his 'love' for Jackie. Before anybody could say anything, he was gone. Hyde sniffed and crossed his arms, continuing his conversation with Donna about what had been on TV the night before but Donna was having none of it. She looked at Hyde with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

"Hyde! I thought it was you and Jackie?!"

"Look, Donna. I told you. That's the last thing on my mind. Jackie is a witch. Hell-spawn. Let Kelso get her. Kelso will always have Jackie and I don't want to have Jackie. Isn't it funny how the world works, Donna?" Hyde snapped, immediately getting to his feet and leaving the Hub, the door slamming behind him. Hyde had to get to Jackie before Kelso. He couldn't take the emotional whiplash any more. He couldn't stand by and watch Jackie get hurt again and again by the same guy. He'd become close to her and came to know her. It wasn't just sex that had brought him closer to her, the conversations they had shared throughout the days and over the phone and in the circle. Just being in and around her space taught Hyde everything he needed to know about Jackie and had he thought any more on the matter, he might have come to the conclusion that he was infatuated with Jackie. Instead, Hyde stopped just as he reached the Forman's driveway.

"Screw it!" Hyde cursed quietly as the snow started to trickle from the sky. He was done chasing and protecting. It was the quickest change of heart he had ever encountered. He didn't know if it was the thought of 'loving' Jackie one day that made him throw in the towel; but he did. He was done. He couldn't keep her and Hyde knew that. He could never _have_ her. She would never be just Jackie. Jackie would always be Kelso's. It was fact.

* * *

Inside, Jackie was hugging Michael on the Forman's staircase leading upstairs. Pieces of her were overcome with love and familiarity but it wasn't the love she had given before. It was platonic. And it broke her heart to see Kelso so in-love with her. Jackie knew Kelso. Their relationship was clockwork, predictable. It was a quick-fix if need be. Kelso cuddled into her tightly but Jackie had no power to hug him back. Instead, her arms hung down with only her hands on Kelso's shoulders keeping them from dropping to her feet. There was nothing there. Nothing inside.

It was then that the kitchen door swung open and Hyde walked in, ready to go and shower upstairs. His eyes were busy, his mind focused. He wouldn't have noticed the pair if he hadn't dropped his toothbrush.  
"Hey, guys!" He chirped in his usual casual tone and relaxed smile.

"We're back together!" laughed Kelso, raising his arms from Jackie and almost knocking a tooth out of her mouth.

"Alright! What's this- ninth time lucky? Alright, guys! Happy for 'ya. For the ninth time." Hyde chuckled and patted Kelso's shoulder before continuing on his journey upstairs. Kelso was ecstatic and fled the house to alert his other friends. Jackie was happy enough to stay inside and do her own thing. She sat and waited by the stairs for Hyde to finish showering but he was taking longer than his normal fifteen minutes. Almost an hour later, Hyde re-emerged. Jackie had moved tot he couch and was now sitting with Red. He was reading the paper. Jackie was watching TV with a magazine. Her face was blank and barely interested in the magazine, she turned at the sound of footsteps coming downstairs.

"Steven-"

"What? I thought you were with Kelso at the Hub. I heard him run out."

"No, I wanted to stay. Look, I've got to talk to you-" Jackie set her magazine aside and turned fully on the couch. Hyde, dressed in his shirt and jeans slightly damp from the humid bathroom, stood by the kitchen door.

"Can it be quick?" He asked, putting on his glasses then attaching his watch to his wrist again. Jackie was stunned, "I got a date."

"A date?" She quizzed, sinking inside and starting to feel hopeless. "Okay... Look, the thing with Michae-"

The phone started to ring and Hyde nodded,

"That's her."

Before Jackie could say anything else, she was off the couch and heading upstairs, the pit of her stomach cold and heavy. The phone rang out until Hyde picked it up and slammed it back down in a second. He came back to where Red sat. Red was neutral, remaining quiet for the entirety of the discussion. But with a soft sigh and cough in his throat, the newspaper was folded and tossed onto the coffee table.

"Jackass."

"Hey! What the Hell, Red?!"

"I have been watching you two go at this since you were in Middle School."

"What? Going at what? Hating each other?" Hyde laughed. Red looked at him now standing with his hands in his pockets. He shook his head. Hyde knew what he meant but denied everything. "I don't know what you think you know-"

"I know that that girl upstairs need people that she can depend on, not floozying around on fake dates, Steven. I know that you have got work in one hour and then you will get home from work tonight at ten o'clock; take your dinner out of the oven and eat it in your room, eventually going to sleep at eleven. I know that about you. Your routine has never changed, not even at college, and yes, Jackie is blind to that. There is a lot going on right now. But lying to that girl is a terrible thing to do... It's exactly what her father has done to her." Red said sternly.

Hyde went down to the basement and thought about what Red had said to him. He sat on the edge of his cot and thought hard about what he had said to Jackie. Red was right. Hyde was a jackass. An idiot. As Hyde decided to go upstairs and confront Jackie, Fez and Donna entered the basement with Eric following closely behind with Kelso. Kelso was smug and almost rubbing Hyde's nose. Hyde didn't care.

"Yeah, we looked past our fights and I think it's serious!" Kelso cheered on the couch with a bag of chips by his side. Eric and Donna only nodded and focused on the tv. Fez rolled.

"You can't do that, man. It's my parents Christmas party tonight. They'll kill me!" Eric scowled down at Fez by the table who stopped what he was doing. That was right. Damn. The Christmas party. As immature as it sounded to Hyde, he knew he was going to take some beers after work and just drink into the wee hours to get over the mistake he had made.

Jackie was upstairs and getting ready. Her hair was in rollers and her makeup was almost done. She looked into Laurie's bedroom mirror, knowing she was lying to herself. Mr Forman made himself known.

"Jackie, look, uh, I hope it's alright. Kitty, uh, invited your dad to drop by just to make sure you're alright and settling in."

"Yeah, fine. Really. Where- uh, is Steven?"

"Downstairs being a jackass probably."

Jackie nodded and turned back to the mirror to powder her face. Red left and closed the door behind him.

In the kitchen some time later, Hyde had started drinking. He held a beer in his hand, sitting at the dining table and passing it slowly back and forth between his hands and the table. Red came downstairs after changing into his seasonal clothes. Hyde sprung up immediately.

"Red, Red! Is Jackie coming tonight?"

"Dunno, dumbass. She was, uh, doing her powder. And, er, she asked about you... if you ask me, talk to her before Kitty does. You'll never hear the end of it. Trust me."

Reds words shook Hyde and he knew Red was right. As Hyde was going to leave the kitchen Jackie and Kelso walked in together. Fez was close behind. Hyde watched Jackie and she watched him back.

"Hyde, man, where's your date?" Kelso chortled and stole a can of soda from the fridge. Hyde continued to look at Jackie but she broke off the connection to look down at the stove full of pigs in blankets and cookies.

"Oh, man, she's waiting for me to pick her up. I'm... Just getting my keys." Hyde smiled and set his beers down, taking the keys from his pocket and walking out to the driveway. Jackie had asked about him but had totally refused to acknowledge him in the kitchen. Hyde could only think ' _screw this_ ' and ' _to hell with her, man_ '.

"Steven!" Jackie called from the kitchen door as Hyde had made his way down the street to his car. "Steven!"

" _What_?!" He turned, full of fire.

Jackie hesitated before taking a step back,

"The party... Mrs Forman."

"I'm going out."

Jackie just nodded, ready to walk away but instead she stayed and stood firm.

"Why are you being like this?" She asked hesitantly but Hyde was already unlocking the car and jangling the keys in its lock. He shook his head, looking down at the door. "You are so selfish about all of this!"

"I'm selfish?! Me?!" Hyde left the keys in the lock and started for her. "Jackie, the guy is an idiot and I know you know that. He has screwed you over so many times- God, I'm done trying to show you that. You know it yourself."

"Steven..."

"No, Jackie, just stop, okay? Just stop. You love him, be with him." Hyde stated in a brash voice. His body was rigid with the frustration of the entire situation. "Whiplash. That's what you give everybody. Both of you. If you are with him then stay with him. Stop bringing people along for the ride, okay?" Hyde turned and went back to the car, jumping in and starting up the cold engine. It whirred and sounded like it had a hearty cough it had to get rid of. In his anger, he drove away quickly and headed for the Foto-Hut for his evening shift. "Tell Mrs Forman I'll be back soon." Hyde said, stopping by her walking back into the house before taking off again.


	25. The Burner

Chapter Twenty Five  
The Burner

The Foto-Hut was dead that evening. Leo shut up shop and hot-boxed himself until Hyde turned up. He made it clear that he was paying Hyde to stay with him until the effects wore off. Hyde sat at the photo-developing counter and just stared into space thinking about everything except Jackie. He talked about College with Leo and the classes he was taking.

"What are you doing, man? Have you been cloned?" Leo drawled which made Hyde snap out of his ramblings.

"What?"

"You hate College, man. You told me it was just how the government funds capital punishment for young offenders."

"Well, it does. But, I gotta get something. I can't just go from job to job with my high school diploma, man."

Leo nodded, understanding that Hyde was dedicated to getting his degree. Though only a short year-long course, Hyde was working hard for it, and now that Jackie didn't dominate most of his brain, he could focus on it. He explained to his friend all about the topics he had learned. Hyde was taking Economics and though he was only minoring in it, he wanted to work on it more and more the deeper into his learning he got. Ultimately, Hyde explained how much he would like to eventually Major in Philosophy but it was too far fetched for his income. He could only hope he found a way to get there.

Leo finally let Hyde go home after deep-rooted conversations about the speed of grass growing.

"And hey, as for that girl, man. Just talk, man. They love talking." Leo instructed, locking the small door as the snow came down heavier.

"Egh, I don't know, Leo. She tried talking to me and I just blew her out."

"Sounds to me, man, that you didn't wanna listen." Leo said quietly, muttering to himself afterwards. Hyde grabbed his keys from his coat pocket and made his way to the Camino, "Try, man. Talk!" Leo called after him, grumbling away to his own car the other side of the lot. Hyde now had a lot to consider, a lot to mull over. And it was done on the drive home. He thought about what he was going to say right down to the way he said it. He didn't want to upset Jackie; never in his life did he want to. But he felt as he came into the street that Jackie would take everything to heart.

* * *

The car was locked and the lights from the house lit up the rest of their street. Hyde tried to amp himself up for entering the house but it was Jackie that greeted him by the fridge.

"Steven, I need to talk to you and you're going to listen. I don't care if you don't want to hear it-"

"Okay." Hyde responded and shed his jacket onto the counter top. Jackie was taken aback but proceeded to guide Hyde downstairs to the basement. They made their way through the sea of people. Donna and Fez had caught onto them both. Slowly, they followed behind.

In the basement, Hyde took his normal perch but Jackie had her hands on her hips, walking back and forth behind the couch. Hyde went to talk but Jackie cut him off.

"What is with you? Be realistic. What is the matter, Steven?"

Hyde took a deep inhale before replying. He crossed his arms and looked up at her, "Alright, Jackie. You know how I feel about this. Kelso is an idiot. Everybody knows that. He glues himself to stuff for God's sake! He's a serial cheater and liar and goof. You can do so much better. You are worth more than a dumb cheat!"

"You think you're better than him?"

"Did I say that? Don't twist this, Jackie. I didn't say that and you know I didn't!" Hyde got up and walked over to her but Jackie was stern and strong as she stood.

"I know that Michael isn't perfect and I know that I _love_ him, Steven!"Jackie put her foot down and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Hyde shook his head laughing and sat on the arm of the sofa. "What?!"

"If you loved him like you say you do, you would do anything for him and lean on him and he would do anything for you. Jackie, he cheated, too many times to count, he leans on the people he cheats with. And you, when have you ever run to Kelso for anything? Who did you always come to? Who was there when you broke your ankle and couldn't walk? Who supported your dream and not just that you were gonna be on TV? If you loved Kelso, you sure as shit wouldn't have come to me for everything."

Hyde wasn't angry. Everything was off his chest. But this just egged Jackie on. Donna and Fez had managed to sit at the very top of the basement stairs to listen in. They would barely breathe despite the loud party upstairs with whooping and shouting and music. Jackie was ready to scream back at Hyde and Donna was deeply upset. Her two best friends were having a yelling match during the happiest time of the year.

"Look, Steven! Michael might not be the brightest or the richest or the most perfect but oh, my god, he is a constant thing in my life. The only constant thing! Donna and Eric are breaking up every other month and you. You have went off to Iowa for college-"

"You went to Texas, Jackie!"

"You were going to Iowa first! You had enrolled! You were going whether I went to Texas or not. So there, Michael is a constant, positive thing in my life and I could use that."

"Jackie, we're getting nowhere. You call me a dirtbag and a burner so many times a day. You treat me like crap because Kelso treated your relationship like crap. You don't have to bring me down just because you know where it going to go with him. Stop making me feel pity for you when you get yourself back into it with him. Seriously, Jackie."

"I do it because I want you to save me from it, God! Do I have to spell it out in big letters for you?! I do not want to be with Michael..."

Hyde looked at Jackie with a softer face but she was ready to scream again. Her chest heaved and she was past the stage of angry. Donna and Fez waited in anticipation for Jackie to talk again.

"And after tonight, I don't want to be with you either."

"Good. 'Cause I want nothing to do with you! Take your dead relationship and that cheating bastard and go be very happy together in your same-old-same-old life where you lie to yourself every single day. Just don't dare come crying back to me when he breaks your heart again. I can't watch that happen anymore. I can't fix what's happened if you don't want it to change. I try and I try for you and you still go back and do it again." Hyde was strong too, surprisingly relaxed for the situation. "If you don't want me, that's fine. Because I would never _have_ you even if we were together. I can't keep you for myself... So, go. Just get out."


	26. The Break

Chapter Twenty Six  
The Break

How did Hyde let it reach this? Jackie made her way upstairs, passing Donna and Fez on the stairs and returned to the party although her heart and her mind were miles away. Hyde remained downstairs, his blood pressure boiling and a cool sweat draped his face and neck. He could only think of fucking off into somewhere dark and quiet and for some reason, his back room wasn't good enough. Jackie was gone, back to her false life with her false, cheating Kelso and probably more than happy to forget everything. Hyde raised from his seat and walked to behind the couch where she paced. His hands were on his hips then washing over his face. He didn't know what to do, where to be or what to even say. Initially Hyde thought of moving but he had no money and no connections. Donna and Fez were frozen, having seen everything unfold. It was as though a bomb had went off- an atomic one. There was no coming back from this.

"Shit!" hissed Hyde in frustration that it couldn't be saved. The Hyde that everyone knew to be uncaring and constantly vacant was buried under a continuous-falling avalanche of memories and feelings and soon, tears. His foot kicked the back of the couch, putting a deep, gaping hole into the back lining before heading upstairs to the party. He stopped halfway, stunned at Donna and Fez on top of each other with wide eyes and sad, turned lips.

"Hyde..." Donna tried to speak but his name was all she could muster.

"What did you hear? Everything? Good." He spoke firm, his voice unshaken and his stature becoming stronger, "I don't need to spell anything out for anybody. Great. Tell whoever you want. I know you're going to-"

"No, Hyde, we wouldn't," Fez claimed but Hyde just brushed past them and went into the kitchen. "What are we going to do?" Fez turned to Donna but she had no words still. He stood to his feet and stepped down further into the basement, looking at where it had happened with a glum expression. When he turned to ask Donna who they were going to tell, she was gone.

* * *

Upstairs, Jackie hovered directly beside Kelso who chortled, glugging at a can as though it became water when he cracked it open. She chose not to explain her silence when he asked and that was just fine for him. Kitty noticed, Red noticed and even Bob had noticed. Kitty knew, and let Red know in a quiet moment and left Bob to think of where her sadness had came from. Her and Hyde passed quietly, no look exchanged, a false smile on Jackie but Hyde seemed his normal and dull self. Their minds both raced but couldn't fathom straight thoughts. Eric floated between his friends and shared laughs with everybody however Donna couldn't laugh.

"Donna, you look like you've seen the Ghost of Christmas past. What's cookin' in that ol' noggin?" He was teetering on the edge of drunk but he could comprehend her sadness instantly. She refused for a short while, chewing her thumbnail before taking Eric aside to the top of the stairs. This helped Eric to sober slightly and he probed questions at her as though on a constant loop.

"They had a fight. Hyde and Jackie; a bad one. I feel ill-"

"Are you sure it's not my aunt's punch?" He asked quietly, covering his mouth from the view of others. Donna slapped his hand down before crossing her arms over her chest,

"They're not gonna let anything go. If we think for a second that they're gonna talk or even be in the same room anymore-"

"Wait, wait. What did they fight about? I really don't think it's anything bad. They always fight."

"Eric, I swear. Fez can back me up. It's like the fight my mom and dad had before they served papers to each other. They'll never be friends again. They're strangers now. At least to each other." Donna rubbed her forehead and plopped down onto the top step, "Their dynamic, their chemistry- friendship, love, hatred. Gone. It's gone, and I can't-" She started to sob and moved closer to the shadows so that nobody could detect her tears. Eric looked around frantically. His best friend was going through shit to the point where his girlfriend was in tatters. Donna and Eric never really looked a lot into Jackie and Hyde's dynamic but it must have been explosive to shake Donna so bad. Eric could only think of trying to glue the group back together with kind words and jovial Christmas cheer but Donna was adamant that nothing could repair it. Not even their best friends.

Hyde passed the bottom of the stairs and bee-lined for the kitchen where Red was joking around with some of the men from the party. Eric followed slyly and let Donna collect her thoughts. He tugged Hyde's shirt which made him turn, beer in hand and eyes always hidden behind his glasses.

"What's goin' on, man? Donna's crying."

"Jackie probably is too. Probably Fez. What do you want me to do about it?" Hyde stated in a casual, arrogant way that infuriated Eric.

"Fix it, you total ass-hat! Fix it!"

"Alright, c'mere!" Hyde muttered and guided Eric out to the Cruiser where they sat on the hood. It was freezing out and Eric swore he could see the steam smoke off of Hyde into the atmosphere. He was shook-up too. "Jackie's a bitch. Can't fix that. I don't care enough to fix it- no, hang on, I do. I care too much to fix it. I've explained it, argued it, shouted it at her not twenty minutes ago- Kelso is bad for her and all those times, nothing... So screw her, screw Kelso and definitely fuck Point Place. In the morning, I-" Hyde laughed and drank his beer, belching quietly, "I don't know what I'm doing. Honestly, I'm taking my shit and going somewhere that their fake personalities can't find."

"Hyde," Eric began heavy hearted, "strip it back. You've been Kelso's friend for too many years to just walk away and forget about-"

"Eric. He has fucked us all over for so long and maybe I'm being stupid in thinking that it'll happen again. I'm not just going to stay here and watch it happen to Jackie again and again and again. It was a long time coming and yes, it took Jackie going back to him for the millionth time for me to get my god damn head together and pack-up. I'm not doing it. I-I can't. Not anymore."  
Eric was silent. Hyde couldn't stay still so moved from the car to the hedge between the Pinciotti's and Eric's. He pulled leaves and let them drop before crushing his can and launching it down the driveway onto the street.

"I've known you for almost twenty years, Hyde. You're my best friend. If you were hurting, you could talk to me. You know that. But it's taken for you to get so upset that I need to tell you that maybe this back and forth with Jackie might just end up the same as her and Kelso. You'll fight. You'll get together. You're declare war on each other. You'll get together again. If she settles for Kelso then fine. That's just not something you can help. If she wants to screw up with him, then fine. You don't need that and you don't need her- friend or more... I told you when she first started coming around; she's the devil." Eric worked out a chuckle and Hyde looked at him with defense written all over him before he cracked a smile. "You and Kelso and Fez are my friends-"

"Look, I'm not asking you to stop being friends with him. I'd never. I'm just asking you to support me going. Wherever it is or whenever it'll be."

Eric nodded firmly and reassuringly.


	27. The Ride

Chapter Twenty Seven  
The Ride

Hyde remained in the basement until New Years. Jackie and Kelso were like a brand-new couple and never at the Forman's anymore. Except for tonight. Things had cooled down for them both but their blood ran cold when they thought of each other. It was a new hatred. Or love. They didn't know. And never would. Forever dressed in the same jeans since Christmas but with a different shirt, Hyde lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling slowly getting fried in the silence. His mind softly buzzed and he brought and arm behind his head. His boots rested on the arm of the couch and he was quite happy in his own space with Mr and Mrs Forman out gathering supplies for their quiet New Years party. That was until Kelso and Fez banged the basement door open with take-out burgers and fries. Hyde almost leapt five foot into the air. They were rambling nonsense and Fez quietened down when he seen Hyde move from the couch to the stool. His smoke was placed into an old tin of chicken broth used now specifically for burnt out butts.

"We brought you a burger. If you weren't here, I would've ate it." Kelso tossed the wrapped burger to Hyde who caught it in front of his chest. The small group gathered around Hyde's small tin box full of his supplies and Fez lit a fresh one.

 _They ate and spoke in peace, Hyde quiet and Kelso loud. Fez felt as though he was caught in the middle but the longer the haze lasted, the more the tension wore off. They discussed resolutions and the TV Guide until Kelso made his brave comment._  
 _"Guys... I'm gonna ask Jackie to marry me."_  
 _Without hesitation, Hyde put his burger down onto the table and leaned back with his arms crossed. Fez gulped his food down slowly, having not chewed it well enough to go down easy. It caught in his throat and nearly choked him had it not have been for his soda._

 _"We know how that worked out last time. You ran away." Hyde said with a plain smile. Kelso shoved him off and leaned forward over the soup tin._

 _"I know but this is for real. We've done this tango for a while now and I just wanted to make sure she was for keeps. I'm fit to burst, I can't wait until she comes over tonight!" Kelso was ecstatic now that people knew his plan. Fez nodded weakly and smiled uneasily at his friend and slurped on his soda until it was long finished. Hyde watched Kelso with the smile still on his face. Inside, he could only think of how long it would last this time and what the fallout would be. She'd be trapped and so would Kelso but Hyde couldn't be bothered to care anymore. His buzz had definitely died and his stomach rippled with emotion. But that was life now. He nodded and smiled a genuine smile for his friend._  
 _"And look, Hyde. Despite everything, I know it's real. I want you to be there. Right beside me. It'd mean the world."_  
 _Hyde felt more sick. Cold and running on growing adrenaline. It was like salt in a gaping wound. It ripped and tore at his nerves but he kept nodding. Fez sighed heavily and tapped his fingers on the table, trying to ignore the growing sinister vibe he got from Hyde._  
 _As Donna and Jackie entered from upstairs, Hyde focused on his thoughts and had to consciously stop nodding and smiling. He looked like a maniac on the brink of a mental collapse. Jackie had always wanted to be married. To have a family, loving husband, family dog or five. Hyde didn't. Plain and simple. And hey, Kelso loved dogs. Great._

 _"Did you guys smoke your way through a farm? What's in that stuff?" Donna laughed and climbed over the couch to be nearest Hyde, as though unconsciously separating them in case a fight broke out. Things were still raw. It could happen._

 _"Same old, same old. Works doesn't it?" Hyde smiled at her, his cheeks warming and his back teeth almost grinding._

 _"You gonna finish that?" Kelso asked, gesturing to Hyde's half-eating burger. His friend shrugged and allowed him to take it._

 _"Feel free to take it." Hyde chirped and got up from his seat to go to the freezer._ This is going to happen. And you're just going to have to live with it. You can do that. You have to. Can't stop this. It's huge. Life changing. They can't afford divorce. Can't stop it. When will it be? Spring wedding- Jackie likes the spring. Will they elope? This spring? Next year? Will it be big? Just friends? That's what we were. Am I a friend? _Hyde's mind wouldn't stop and it nearly got too much to the point where tears threatened to fall into the freezer. He closed the lid and walked upstairs, leaving the circle._

* * *

Jackie followed Fez upstairs to grab cold sodas and Hyde was walking around aimlessly, doing odd things like getting water then pouring it away after a sip, opening pantry doors and looking blankly before closing them. Fez was ready to run back downstairs when Jackie and Hyde collided by the fridge. His heart was in his throat. They silently danced from one side to the other, eventually Jackie opening the fridge and Hyde pushing into the living room where Red and Kitty entered with Eric and their groceries.  
"Steven, I thought you were at work!" Kitty chuckled but Hyde said nothing in response.

"What's goin' on?" Eric asked kindly. Hyde just looked up at him and Eric knew. By the look in Hyde's eyes and the way he breathed almost quickly as though hyperventilating on a quiet scale. Eric placed his bag of groceries on the coffee table and headed downstairs to the basement where the haze had disappeared much like Hyde's will to live. Jackie sat in the kitchen with her soda and Fez downstairs now out of the situation. Red and Kitty talked between them and Hyde entered, hands deep in his worn-jeans pocket. The air became thick and the conversation died. Jackie had no idea of anything but Hyde knew everything. His mind played all of their moments like a cheesy montage ripped apart by the imminent proposal. Climbing in her window, sharing car rides, their simple goodbye's when Jackie went to Texas. All of it torn to shreds in a split second. Hyde stood still by the kitchen door and wondered if Jackie thought the same things as him. Probably not. Not if Kelso took up her time as much as he did. They were long gone and buried deep in a box at the back of her head. Which was sad, they were good memories. Memories that should be shared together on quiet nights where the wind rattled the windows and garage door. Nights where all the blankets in the basement didn't keep either of them warm. When the TV had no good movies on or Happy Days re-runs and when all the board games had been played.

Kitty took a seat beside Jackie and a cup of coffee was carried in her hands. She tried to bring the energy back to the room by shivering as she drank and chuckled in the quiet. Red rustled through the bags of food and put them where they should be.  
"Will you be here tonight?" Kitty asked openly to both of them. Jackie nodded eagerly and smiled at Mrs Forman warmly. Hyde nodded.

"Yeah. I gotta go to the store and get... Uh, some things first." Hyde made way for the driveway when Red's voice stopped him.

"Jackie could help you if it's a lot. Four hands are better than two, y'know." He shrugged with a smile, laughing as he turned to put things into the fridge. Jackie was like a deer in the headlights. Terrified to respond, Hyde continued walking. Jackie's shoes followed him into the snow.


	28. The Fall

Chapter Twenty Eight  
The Fall

They drove in absolute silence. Jackie gazed from the window. Hyde watched the road ahead. Where it was going, he didn't know. He didn't care. Jackie tagging along wasn't part of the plan. The radio was static due to the coming storm. No reception, nothing but white noise that was deafening to Jackie. Countless times she tried to speak but her mouth wouldn't compute. Passing the city limits, it came to her.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know."

"The store?"

"I don't know."

And that was all. For a little while. They were around twenty miles from Point Place but it wasn't far enough for Hyde. He kept going. Jackie watched from all windows for road signs. They were reaching Wind Point and Hyde eventually came to a stop after winding through the town. It was the pier. Hyde climbed out the Camino and leaned on the front of the hood as though Jackie wasn't in the car. She watched his back and the cold sun shining over the water. Would now be the time? She wasn't sure. Jackie stepped out and came to the front of the car, snow and slush crunching under her boots. Her arms crossed on her chest but she couldn't look at him as she spoke.

"I'm going to ask Michael to move to Madison with me."

Another blow to Hyde and he handled it as though she had never said a word.

"I saw an apartment in Madison which isn't too expensive. We could afford it. I could go to college. He could enroll with the Academy. I've saved some money for us. We'd never have to come back." Jackie was quiet but she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and turned to face Hyde. The wind was picking up but his whole body was monotonous. His voice had no tone, register. Nothing.

"Is it what _you_ want? Or what _he_ wants?"

"Michael doesn't know."

Hyde swallowed and nodded slowly, pursing his lips in acceptance. He muffled an 'okay' into the wind.

"Why are you telling me?" His heart was raw, heaving and unhealed from the Christmas party only some days before but he persevered with his questions. Jackie crossed one leg over on top of the other, her thighs cold against the hood of the car.

"One day you might come back from college and wonder why we're not there. Maybe not. I don't know... I've asked the seller of the apartment to keep it on hold; if Michael agrees, we can move in at the end of January." Her heart was swelling in her chest she felt as though the entire world had collapsed onto her shoulders. everything was heavy and it hurt but Hyde was agreeing to everything. His hands moved from across his chest to his pockets and he got up from leaning to walk out to the edge of the frozen grass, the front of his boot hovering over the line between grass and icy white sand.

"You got it planned. Kid on the way? Dog adopted? Wha-Why? Why now?" Hyde asked, knowing that either way she answered would make him turn back and get into the driver's seat and head home, with or without her. Jackie had no response. Neither was true but Hyde's venomous tone rocked her.

"You're right. I shouldn't have told you."

"No, you shouldn't. Why tell me?! You have plenty other friends to tell this shit to Jackie!" Hyde was walking back to the car

"Maybe I thought you would care but clearly I was wrong."

"I am always the god damn fall-guy for yours and Kelso's bullshit. Always. Do you think that because I don't seem to care you can just unload all your crap?!" Hyde was almost yelling although telling himself to stay cool. Jackie said nothing but walked past the car and back to the road. "What are you doing?"

"Calling a cab." Jackie quietly said and walked down to the emergency payphone by the road, almost buried in weeds and long-grass. Hyde shook his head and started the engine up as soon as he sat down. He was going to leave her and not think twice about it. Jackie had no more tears to shed over Hyde and it was the same all 'round. His car swept past her at the payphone and covered her in a tundra chill. He could see her in the rear-view but not once did she look up.

* * *

Back in Point Place, the Forman's were having dinner. Donna and Fez had headed to the Hub and Kelso stuck around for Jackie. He flipped through all the magazines in the house three times over. Hyde arrived home first and went straight for the basement. After some time sitting on the edge of his cot, contemplating his options, Hyde gathered his things into his pack and sat it on the couch. As soon as it was the next year, Hyde was gone. Starting at Leo's then on to wherever his feet would take him. Kelso came downstairs where Hyde was smoking and putting things into his pack. Records, trinkets. Loose socks.

"Hey. Where's Jackie? Red said she went to the store with you."

With his joint hanging from his teeth, Hyde pulled his pack tight as he spoke, "The store."  
At that point, Jackie arrived, cold and in the worst mood.

"Oh hey, baby. You were gone a while. Thought Hyde had shoved you in a freezer or something." Kelso chuckled and jumped up onto the washer. Jackie made her way to him, ignoring Hyde who was still hunched over his bag with smoke billowing into his face. But he watched them through the grey.

"No, I stayed behind to talk to a friend. She works there now. Look, Michael I gotta talk to you. Maybe not here."

"No, it's cool. I'm going into my room." Hyde said, gesturing to the dark hallway. Jackie didn't look at him directly and shook her head,

"No, it's too important. My house?" She asked Kelso who was watched her intently but he didn't move. Soon, the entire gang had gathered back to the basement ready for the New Years celebrations. Fez and Jackie sat on the couch, reading a magazine between them. Donna and Kelso loaded beer into the washer full of ice. Eric and Hyde spoke about the goings-on on the TV before the time came for Kelso to talk.

"Guys, can I have your attention?" He asked coyly. Everyone turned to look at him, Hyde sighing heavily as he done so. He knew what was coming. Jackie's heart rose to her throat and it was almost impossible to breathe; she felt as though everybody was watching _her_. "Jackie, baby, c'mere." Kelso smiled and held his hand out to her from behind the couch. She closed the magazine on her lap and gave it to Fez before climbing to her feet and meeting him. He took both her hands which made everybody almost gag. His eyes were full of love and joy when she looked at him. Hyde and Donna were ready to blow chunks all over their snacks on the table. "Jackie, you and me have been going on for so long and it's been totally rockin'. I loved it. And I love you-"

"I love you too, Michael." Jackie said warmly, her eyes full of a burning fire that Hyde hadn't seen. It was happening and it was real. Real enough for Fez to even weep.

"So, in front of all our friends, and putting the past few years and women behind us-"

" _Oh my god. Oh my god_..." Jackie whispered to herself. His grip got tighter on her hands and Hyde couldn't bear to watch any longer. He turned to focus on anything but the scene in front of him. His crossed arms became tighter, one hand wrapped on his bicep, gripping tighter with every moment that passed. He felt as though he was before a firing squad, ready to be put down before everybody.

"I know your mind. I know your love and I know that we're meant to be. Despite everything. We're meant to be. I know that we can make it for anything that we get thrown at us... Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart, will you marry _me_ , Michael Christopher Kelso?" His smile was so wide, his cheeks ached. Jackie's fire was being dampened by the tears.

Hyde watched the shapes and blobs on the TV screen jump around, his breath loud in his ears. Donna put a hand on Eric's shoulder and he brought her in close. Fez was streaming floods of tears and they all waited for the confirmation. Hyde's mouth was dry, his ears and cheeks hot, palms clammy and bicep hard and soft. _Just say it. Say it. Do it. You want it. Do it. Marry him, Jackie._

" _No..._ " Jackie answered and dropped Kelso's hands. The room was silent. Hyde's grip was so tight on his arm, it was almost losing circulation. He was sure in that moment he was going to be sick. What just happened? His view whipped 'round to the unhappy couple standing behind the couch. There was no love now.


	29. The Ringing Bells of Hell

Chapter Twenty Nine  
The Ringing Bells of Hell

The basement was still. The party was roaring. There was laughter and music and heavy footsteps. Eric's heart jumped to his chest and was beating heavily. Everybody's mouth was dry. Kelso seemed confused. Had he done something wrong?

"Michael, come on, let's talk." Jackie tried to coax him towards Hyde's back room. He was moving like a corpse, slow, barely breathing. He was astounded. Hyde blinked wildly, looking at the couch where Fez now sat. There was wonder in his mind, curious. Why? Donna let out a breath and put her hand to her chest.

"Wow. I didn't-"

"Me neither." Fez joined, nodding, staring at the TV but taking nothing in. Hyde laughed a single laugh but covered his mouth and jumped to his feet when he heard Kelso talking loudly, angrily.

"That's my cue. See ya, guys." He humphed his pack onto his back and grabbed his jacket from the record player but Eric went over to the basement door.

"No, no. You fix this."

"Heh, Forman, she doesn't want to. I can't fix that, man! Now move, c'mon!" Hyde laughed, trying to get past his friend but he couldn't.

"Like hell you can fix it!"

"No, man. She wants to move to Madison with him. She loves him. Just doesn't wanna marry the guy. C'mon, I gotta meet Leo at the Hub." Hyde parted on those words and the door let an icy draught through the basement. He walked to meet his friend, wonder in his heart and still as confused as the rest of his friends.

* * *

In the back-room of the basement, Jackie sat on Hyde's cot and watched Michael move back and forth in front of her, deeply embarrassed and shocked.

"Michael, we just got back together. We can't get married. We don't know what's going to happen. I was going to ask you to move away with me and get an apartment. I want to be with you. It's just too soon for marriage." She pleaded and begged him eventually taking one of his hands but Kelso couldn't handle that. He pulled it away from her dramatically and put his hands on his hips.

"But you always wanted to get married! To me! Always! Jackie, damn, what have I done?!"

"Nothing, Michael. I promise, you've not done anything. I think we just have to find our feet again in this relationship, y'know? We will one day. But let's just sort this out and make it work properly!" Jackie fought to grab his hand again and held it as tight as she could. Kelso rubbed his eyes with his free hand and looked down at her, knowing exactly why she changed her mind.

"It's him. It's Hyde. I can't have you because of him! I knew it, Jackie! Damn... "

"Oh, my god, Michael, no! It isn't! Michael Kelso, you listen to me. I want to marry you. I do. I want to move in with you and live my best life with you. Steven has nothing to do with it for once. Old news, change the record; he's done and he's gone. I love you and want to be with you. I don't know how to make you believe me!" Jackie now stood before him, tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe the words she had said but had to for the sake of the relationship. She was with Kelso and Hyde couldn't even enter her mind. He couldn't. She couldn't go back to that. Kelso looked down at her and kissed the side of her face, taking her into a tight hug, "Michael, I promise it's you and it's me. Steven said the exact same thing to me about you. I would never be his. Always yours. Always. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Not really! It says that he loves you just as much as I do- maybe more! He's willing to give you up for me... "

"He's being a decent _friend_ that way. He told me that he would much rather you and I were together. We work better." She lied and pulled back to give him a soft smile, "You don't have to worry about us- Me and Steven. To make this relationship work, I will be friends with him, whatever you want me to do, to make us work. Please, Michael. He was a mistake." Jackie couldn't filter her truth from the lies and at this point, she didn't what what to believe that came from her mouth. "Move with me to Madison. Be with me and forget Point Place."

"But every time I look at you, Jackie, I don't think you get how much I don't just see you. I see you and Hyde behind my back."

Jackie bit her tongue for Kelso's schpiel about her and Hyde being sneaky and going behind his back. She looked him in the eyes, her soft love morphing into resentment and dread. They had been down this road far too long. It was like deja-vu to Jackie. In these moments as Kelso went on, Jackie came to her senses. Every time they had this fight, Michael always favoured himself. He took his own side, defended only him. And Jackie thought she was self-centred.  
She let him continue, hearing him out but taken aback at the selfishness. She loved Michael and would do anything for him. Maybe that's how they would work. Both self-involved to the extreme but cared enough about each other to put it aside and listen. She pecked his cheek once he finished talking and he just held her there in Hyde's back-room. Even if that meant moving to Madison.

* * *

Hyde stood in the Hub which was starting to close up, looking at his watch as he spoke to Garrett, the owner. They spoke about everything and nothing to pass the time. Outside, Jackie had walked herself to the Hub and caught a glimpse of Hyde inside. How could she face him after everything? Jackie bit the bullet and made her way over to the payphone inside, Hyde turning to her when she started to fumble through her purse for a number.

"Jackie, what you doin' man?"

"Calling my realtor about the Madison apartment."

"Oh, you and Kelso worked it out. Good for you guys." Hyde genuinely smiled and turned back to Garrett before Leo walked in with two honeys on his side. They started conversation as Jackie spoke and refined her Madison agreement. One of the honeys came to Hyde's side and talked with him about the party at Leo's but Hyde was listening to Jackie's phone conversation.

" _Hey, it's Jackie Burkhart... Yeah, I do... yeah... How much? Sure, yeah I can get that... I guess I'll be in Madison maybe next week, I don't know, my dad- Oh, okay. Sure... Yeah. Okay that's fine... I'll give you a call... Yeah, happy new year to you too. Bye._ " The phone hung up with a click and Jackie walked back out of the Hub in the direction of her house. Hyde left Leo for a moment and jogged after Jackie despite all the burning anger and hatred. Her denying the proposal gave him a new lease of life but it wouldn't go back to how it was.

"Jackie, hey! Wait up." He called, coming to a halt some steps behind her. She stopped shuffling in the snow-cleared sidewalk and sighed,

"What do you want, Steven?"

"What's goin' on? You sounded sad on the phone; I thought you and Kelso were goin' to Madison together?"

"We are. If my dad can give me my Amex card, I can go next week."

"Go where? Madison? C'mon, Jackie, you don't really want to go." Hyde laughed, unbelieving at her plan to move with Kelso. But Jackie stood firm and nodded,

"I do. I want to forget Point Place and the people in it. I don't want to remember the Hub or school or you or anybody. I don't. I need to focus on myself and Michael and proving all of you wrong that we aren't a good match. Michael can't look at me without thinking of you too and I want that to change. There's things out there for you but I just can't be one of those things. Goodbye, Steven." With that, she continued walking home, leaving Hyde bolted to the ground in shock. She was really finished.


	30. The Hitchhiker's Guide to Wisconsin

Chapter Thirty  
The Hitchhiker's Guide to Wisconsin

New Years was celebrated in different ways. Jackie sat on the couch in her dad's house writing a list of things to take to Madison. Kelso was over Jackie's rejection and was now excited about moving in with her and starting fresh. Fez managed to waggle a girl into bed eventually after supplying lots and lots of peppermint punch for both of them. Eric and Donna didn't know what to do. They spent their New Years on the couch in the basement watching crap on TV and wishing that things had gone differently for Jackie, Kelso and Hyde.

The day came for Jackie and Kelso to move. Every night as Jackie lay beside Kelso in her father's house in the guest bedroom, she played everything over to make sure she was doing the right thing. Flickers of memories came but couldn't stay. They made her feel sick to the very pit of her stomach but they excited her. The rush of remembering the fun she had amidst the stress and heartache. But she had to banish them. The longer Jackie stuck in time, the worse she felt moving. It wasn't the right thing to do; to run. But there was no other option.

The morning of their first venture together, Jackie and Kelso had packed up the car with various luggage- suitcases with clothes, suitcases with decor and grocery bags filled with comforters and sheets. They would have to stick it out with no furniture until Jackie's father got in touch with his storage unit and number where all of her mother's and grandmother's old furniture lay. But it was alright, they had the same taste as Jackie; expensive and sophisticated. The plan was to decorate in those days between Jack getting in contact. Those thoughts preoccupied Jackie now. It was just past noon when they headed off in the direction of Madison, full of vigour and a sense of stability holding them together. The Forman's seen them away from Jackie's home then continued with their day at the Piggly Wiggly and other stores. Hyde hadn't showed his face since New Years which sat sourly in Jackie. They were finished but it would've been nice for their friend's support. She couldn't dwell anyway. Her new life was many miles away.

The ride was quiet, Kelso often pulling over at gas stations along the way. They'd stop and grab some food or gas then go on their way. At one stop in particular as Kelso drove off for the second last time, a rumbling grumble unearthed from the backseat. It groggily breathed and pushed itself up from underneath grocery bags and a small vanity case, making Jackie scream, Kelso scream and even the grumbler screamed.

"Where are we?!" He shouted, pushing his hair out of his face, "Who are you?!"

"Hyde?! What the hell, man?!" Kelso yelled back in fear. Hyde paused, his eyes tiny creases in his face as he adjusted to the light. A small smile crawled over his face as he retraced his steps. He pushed his hair back again and leaned over the front seats between them, his fist supporting his chin. He looked satisfied and mystified.

"Oh, man, it was great. What day is it?"

"It's Thursday."

"What?! I lost a week?! Oh, man!" Hyde laughed loudly, starting to stretch his legs as best as he could, "Leo, man. He got some new stuff. Mind. Blowing. Sure it is. I lost a damn week!"

"Steven, you need to go back home." Jackie said matter-of-factly. Kelso stammered and shook his head,

"He's here now. He could help."

"With what, Michael? We can do it. You and me."

"I can help. I can... I don't know, be a real good antique vase if you guys want." Hyde offered, Kelso laughing and gesturing to Hyde,

"With things, y'know? Decorating." Kelso offered and Hyde nodded, almost pleading Jackie to stay with them. It wasn't like he could just hop out and walk back to Point Place. Jackie sighed and just turned from both of them, looking out the window. So, Kelso naturally took that as Jackie agreeing.

* * *

Hyde helped them unload the car, completely disheveled and worn out. He might have slept or crashed for almost a week but he was rough. He was in fact, the first one to shower in the new apartment. All Jackie had wanted to do was climb into a freshly made, cloud-like bed and sleep a deep sleep now that her new life was starting. But instead, as Hyde showered, Kelso and Jackie laid out comforters in the one bedroom between the two electric sockets. Luckily for Hyde, there was a couch left behind by the previous owner. It sat idly in the far corner of the living area beside the breakfast counter. There were no stools so Hyde moved the couch under the bar for a cosy, coven feeling. Kelso had handed him one of the comforters to keep him warm and once he was dry and back in his clothes, he lay out on the couch and watched out the large window opposite the kitchen. It overlooked part of the city. Kelso had long crashed on the makeshift bed in the bedroom but Jackie was overworking. She was organizing grocery bags and suitcases. Hyde had been looking out the window for some time before Jackie stopped and went to bed without saying a word.

Most of the next day and the following day, Jackie actively avoided speaking with Hyde. But Hyde didn't stop trying to pull words from her. He would always ask her opinions on dinner and arranging the furniture once it had came out of storage.

"Steven, what are you trying to do, huh?" Jackie turned with a Tupperware of wallpaper paste in once hand and the other hand on the kitchen counter. Hyde was busy lying on the ground by the front door, painting the door frame with white. "You talk and talk and talk and talk but you're not saying anything!"

"Jackie, hey, c'mon. He's helping us out!" Kelso tried to intervene whilst sticking up a sheet of wallpaper in the bedroom.

"We didn't ask for it! What are you doing here? Huh?!"

Hyde set the brush down on some kitchen towel and got to his feet, sprayed with paint that he was sure wasn't going to wash off. He walked over to her calmly and stood in front of her, talking quietly.

"What are _you_ trying to do, huh?" He asked her and crossed his arms over his chest. Hyde almost leaned down when he was talking. "You tryin' to get rid of me? Why? I'm helping. Shit, I could get on a bus right now and leave you and Kelso and this life. Half-painted. Half-fixed."

"Steven, I don't know what it is you're up to but we don't need or want you here-"

"No, _you_ don't want me here. Kelso doesn't give a rat's-ass where I am. You ran away without so much as a high school diploma. You wanted out and for some reason, I can only think of me being the reason why."

"You are so full of crap!" She hissed at him and tried to barge past but Hyde moved with her.

"Am I? At least I _graduated_ high school. I hated it, and everybody there. But I did it. What are you going to do without it?" Hyde's questions were good and genuine, which threw Jackie off. There was still time to go back before the final tests. She could still go and sit them, and cheer at the big football game in May. She could.

"You have to leave. Go home." Jackie was firm and went past him towards the bedroom with the Tupperware. Hyde followed and grabbed her arm, pulling her back and staring her down.

"And you can come with me. Back _home_."

"Go."


	31. The Future

Chapter Thirty One  
The Future

It was only two weeks before Jackie permanently returned to Point Place. She stayed at her father's house and was planning a trip to Cancun to be with her mom in July after graduation. Everyone was so happy to see her return. Kitty threw a small party and her father even came along, discussing how he could waggle Jackie back into her top-grade classes and the cheer squad. Donna and Eric were set to return to college not long after Jackie's arrival but even they both felt as though she was back where she belonged. Fez couldn't stop trying to hug her until eventually, Jackie gave in on the driveway before going to the Hub with him. She didn't know where Hyde was. Nobody knew. Except Red.

When Jackie's father managed to place his daughter back into school, she studied hard, harder than ever before, Hyde's words from Madison weighing on her heart. He was right, and she knew that, but in that moment, she was far too proud to admit it. The thoughts of Kelso were left back in Madison, hanging and lingering only sometimes. It was Kitty who soon probed for answers one afternoon as Jackie revised at their kitchen table with a soda and a sandwich. Kelso was found with a college girl at one of the local Drive-Ins on the outskirts of town, pants down when Jackie was out with a newly made girl-friend who was also one of her new neighbours. Jackie felt sick. There was only one person to call but they didn't give a damn anymore. Hell, they weren't even in Point Place anymore. But she didn't know that. Jackie valued herself more than that and left, abandoning her deposit, antique furniture and everything else that was there. All she had brought back were the clothes she wore and a vanity case that had been packed in such a hurry. Jackie drove as fast as she could back home in the wee hours. Jackie was settled again, going to school, working at the weekends in the roller rink as much as she despised the smell of the skates and the chili dogs from the vendor some stalls down. She was comfortable.

* * *

 _The day after Hyde returned_

 _As Red sat at the kitchen table with his dress shoes in front of him getting shined, Hyde walked in with a brochure he had picked up from the mall. He chucked it down on the table before sitting opposite Red._

 _"They're recruiting." was all Hyde could manage to say, his brain a-jumble of thoughts and ideas and information from this brochure. Red set down his boot polish and cloth, picking up the recruitment brochure with oily hands. He flipped through it, often looking up and scanning the thought in Steven's face as he stared at the papers in his hands, chewing his thumbnail nervously._

 _"You think you could?" Red asked simply. Hyde shrugged and nodded,_

 _"They can teach me more things I could get at college. I know I'd need to change, a lot."_

 _"Oh, boy, yeah. A lot." Red chuckled and nodded whilst leaning back in his chair with his grubby hands on his jeans, "Listen, Steven, what do you think the Army will give you? Really?"_

 _"I don't know, uh, stability? Money? I could experience things?"_

 _Red watched him. Steven was nervous and rightly so. The Army was a huge idea that came from nowhere and especially from Steven which made Red quite apprehensive._

 _"It's no fun and games, y'know. When you're in, you're in. It's with you for life, y'know, unless you get hurt badly. You're away from your family, your friends, everything and everyone. And that's just training... You're gone for three months and that's a long time if you don't know what you're getting in to."_

 _Hyde sat and nodded, his hands coming onto the table and tracing the grains of wood beneath his fingertips. Sure, it was a pretty permanent deal but it was what he wanted. To be his own person and life his own life in a new place and go other places. He could make fond memories and he was more than happy to do that. Hyde could give up lazing around and smoking pot; he could do all of that if it meant that he could experience something totally unreal and awe-inspiring._

* * *

All there seemed to be in Point Place was Jackie and Fez and sometimes, Eric and Donna when they visited on the odd weekends. Jackie would stop by for some time and hang around in the basement before jetting back home to ace her studying. Sometimes when she was in the basement or in the halls at school, she could hear that outrageous laughter of Hyde and Kelso which would make her turn in white-hot fear. They were never there. Jackie would look up from whatever she was doing and would be overcome with adrenaline and sometimes excitement. For who, she didn't know. She missed them both but for entirely different reasons. But with them gone doing whatever it was they were doing, Jackie was at the top of her game. She cheered and led the Prom Committee and Yearbook Committee, but what was the point if she couldn't go to prom with a date? She done it anyway. Prom had a theme of Forgotten Masquerade and the Yearbook's tagline was 'The Best Days of Your Lives!'. Jackie was excited for the fundraising and final print of the yearbook. She earmarked to get seven copies to show off her handiwork. Jackie would pay.

One afternoon when Eric and Donna arrived home for the weekend, the Friday post was handed out by Kitty in the kitchen. Jackie was on her way over with Fez before she started work at dinner time. There was a letter for Donna and Eric and a letter for Jackie, Fez and Kelso. All handwritten and stamped. Red shoved his hands in his pockets as Eric and Donna opened theirs. Red and Kitty got their letter the day before and Kitty was made up but totally sworn to secrecy until everybody had read their own. They were from Hyde. He had let Red and Kitty know just exactly how things were going and what his plans were/ or what the Army's plans were. He would return from Basic Training at the end of April after he filled in all his papers and providing he excelled at his training. He had kept his basic wage untouched in the bank account he was made to set up (apparently keeping it under his mattress away from Big Brother wasn't good enough) so he planned to save more and more for his own place in town. He was out in the way of Washington area where all the cadets and trainees were sent in large groups to be broken down into battalions and units. There were people training to be air-force and even people training to be S.W.A.T. Hyde was just going for some basic infantry and he might branch out when he could.

Kitty watched on with excitement, knowing just where Hyde had been for the past month or so. She always assumed he was back at college early but he would normally call. She watched the look on Eric and Donna's face; it was a mixture of happiness and relief that he hadn't disappeared with Leo for this length of time. He was safe and with the best people.

"Wow, dad, you knew?" Eric looked to Red who made had a shadow of a smile. "Good for him... Yeah..." Eric looked at Donna and she returned the same expression; worry.

"What about Jackie? We don't know what's in hers."

"Oh, sh, sh, sh!" Eric hushed as Jackie walked in through the back patio, Fez by her side. He slid the doors shut again as they chatted casually and Jackie shrugged off her heavy coat. She noticed everybody with strange, excited and happy looks on their faces.

"Jackie this came for you in the mail yesterday." Red handed out her letter from the pile eagerly and grinned. Kitty reigned him in to the living room and left the kids to it. Jackie looked at it and slipped it into her purse,

"I'll read it later. I came by to ask if you guys want to come to the roller disco tonight in work. It's a fundraiser kinda for the senior prom?"

* * *

 _AN/ Sorry about the military jargon. I don't exactly know how the US military works, I'm from the UK but I imagine it's roughly the same haha! Please enjoy and review xx_


	32. The Letter

Chapter Thirty Two  
The Letter

Jackie got home just at the back of ten that night and made her way through her fathers empty house. He was working in Tallahassee that week so it had been terribly quiet with just Jackie. She tossed her shoulder bag onto the chair beside her bed and started to get into her pyjamas. It was then she remembered her letter from Hyde and she hurried to lie comfortable on her bed before opening it. The letter itself was a rough, cheap paper written in cheap, blue ink. Her name was dark on the front as though he had leaned hard down on the paper as he wrote to her. Jackie studied his penmanship and how much neater it had become since they shared classes together.

 _Jackie,_

 _How's it goin'? How's life with Kelso away in Madison? I hope your apartment got finished and I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the housewarming, I've been kinda busy. I joined the Army when I got home and was gone within the week. I'm out in Washington right now and thinking of home. You're the first person I wrote. I still have a while left of training but by summer, I hope to be back and visit all of you guys._

 _I want you to know there's no hard feelings from me about you deciding to stay with Kelso. So long as you guys are happy there. There's talks about being sent over to Europe for something, I don't know what it is but it's supposed to be around your birthday so I might not be there. Hell, I wont be here for anything. When I finish training, I get some time off over the summer so I can visit you and Kelso. I bet the apartment is looking great._

 _It took me a while to write this, I didn't know what to say. I just want to let you know Jackie that I know you're with Kelso and you're happy- you can keep telling yourself that you are, I know you aren't and I don't care if it makes me sound like an ass. But I know that you don't want to be out there with just him, away from your friends and your dad. Thinking about home and you and the Formans is what is making me grit through this. It ain't nice here but it's definite. I get a pay-packet every week and I know that there's a place for me here. I serve a purpose here. And if you think that your definite place is with Kelso; you're wrong. There's always a place for you in Point Place. Sorry, I don't really know what to say, I just want this all out._

 _Jackie, those months we messed around, they were the best ones I ever had. I don't really know where I'm going with this but you should know how I feel. I loved all of it. And we don't really have much in common, but then again; neither do you and Kelso and you guys worked out. Kinda. All those times. I'm not saying I'm hopeful, I know you don't give a crap anymore and I don't either... I think. I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't. I should stop._

 _Okay, y'know, I won't. Jackie, I don't think I love you but I don't think I could handle you in Madison all the time with the man or boy who tears your heart to shreds every other month. I can't do that. You know what you deserve and I'm not saying you deserve me but Kelso doesn't deserve you. I suppose I could shout and yell about it but it's your life. We'll never be what we were and I think that's the way it's meant to be. I was an idiot, stupid enough to go this far for you and shit, stay in Madison. I'm better out here. I don't really know why I wrote to you, I don't know. I'll leave you here with this;_

 _I hope it works out, I'm happy for you and you can do better._

 _My heart,  
Steven._


End file.
